


CSMC: Miami

by skimo



Series: Courtland Street Chronicles [8]
Category: General Hospital
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-23
Updated: 2013-09-23
Packaged: 2017-12-27 10:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 38,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/977441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skimo/pseuds/skimo





	1. Chapter 1

Junior had actually finished up school back in January graduating a term early because he’d spent summers in school for the last three years. Junior has a BA in History and would be walking with his class at the end of May. He’d taken the bare minimum of courses during football season but he’s still always been a full time student. The hours had added up. Completing his course work in January allowed him to focus on the combine. Then once the deal had come from Miami, to get a head start on the playbook and conference with the coach and defensive coordinator without stepping foot out of Port Charles. There had been a high degree of sneaky until draft day. Last years play books and tape had arrived from anywhere but Miami. 

Because Tutu hadn’t been in any hurry she’d been able to talk to a few people and find out where the best places and best values are. She’d had a picture in her mind of the perfect place for Junior and done the leg work for her grandson narrowing the possibilities to a couple that she’d run by him. He’d probably run them by Mariah. Hopefully he had. It might save his back after the way he’d acted at the Draft.

The housing market in Miami is a fickle thing. The weather is beautiful; the hurricanes are wicked. The economy runs in cycles; the Florida tax laws favor the rich and greedy. Even with all the reforms over time Florida still has a reputation for covering the assets of robber barons on the run from the law in the other 49 states.

The house she’d finally picked, and Junior okayed, is an older home in the Mediterranean style. It had been updated some but not totally which was something she was actually grateful for. Normal size people complain about the size of a bathtub and not being able to stretch out, or not being able to turn around in the shower... the size of Junior or her son Jesse made a custom bathroom not a want but a need. The Big City designer that One Phone Call had found for her... with the guarantee of absolute confidentiality about who her client was had redesigned the bathroom and master suite. The house had six bedrooms so it’s no big deal if now it has five but the master suite has a bathroom and custom closet that will accommodate Junior’s size 23 EEE shoes. Isaac Upton from the CSMC– Philly branch, familiar with the designer’s work, came down to make sure that the local contractor was getting it done and in a timely fashion. There might have been some on the local contract crew who’d put together Tutu’s presence in Miami and the size of the shoe rack. There had been a few discreet hand slaps and thumbs up when the job had started. While everyone had been grinning, they were also keeping the clues to themselves.

Junior hadn’t wanted a big pool and the house isn’t on a canal. There is an exercise pool and a hot tub all though Tutu figures that is more for the jacuzzi than for the hot tub. Not when it could be 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity. It’s actually hotter here than back in Hawaii where she has a place on the windward side of the island and the breezes blown every day. And here it isn’t just bugs... they have alligators and snakes; something that is definitely not found in Hawaii. 

Tutu has a van already purchased and waiting for them in the long term parking at the Miami International airport. The whole family is coming down for the first visit but before the weekend is over Jesse, Gia, Melia and Mariah would be heading back to Port Charles with work or school commitments. 

The money for the house and the car and the renovations had come from Junior’s trust. Dara Jensen hadn’t just put a trust together for Jesse back in the day she’d also made sure that the finances were handled for the whole family. Whether it was Jesse or Mariah’s father there had never been any illusion that a sports career would last for twenty or thirty years. The body couldn’t take a beating that long. Whatever big money is offered now is going to have to last Junior his whole life. His dad’s pro career had been twelve years and then he’d moved onto coaching. His dad has also had 3 ankle surgeries, a shoulder surgery and an annual appointment with an orthopedic sports medicine doctor who shoots knee goo into both of his knees to hold off having to have replacement surgeries done there too. The NFL is a phase. A lucrative phase and one he hoped lasted a good long time but it isn’t going to be forever and he has to have a plan... always a plan for what he is going to be doing next. “Hey, Tutu, how far is this place from the practice field.”

“Depend on time a day.” Tutu keeps her eyes on the road. “You got the 5:30 am practice– twenty minutes. You hit 5:30pm rush hour? Bring a book.”

“Just like home.” He quips from the front passenger seat. He glances back over his shoulder. Melia and Mariah are all the way to the back of the van and his parents have the bench seat behind him and Tutu.

“I call Mona at One Phone Call when I was setting up to come out here. She made sure I had a packet waiting for me when I got here. And that Roxie...” Tutu looks in the rear view mirror and sees Gia’s nod of recognition. “She showed me around town the first day after I slept off the jet lag. She’s going to be running your books. Called the service, Miami Nice, they can take care of major cleaning on the house and the yard work too according to Mona. You got a week before rookie mini camp, and then there is the real mini camp, then training camp. It’ll be four months before the first preseason game. Plenty of time to get settled in.” 

Tutu hits a switch on her key fob and the gate opens up. She goes down the drive that is familiar from the pictures and video she’d sent to Port Charles. Everyone is leaning forward or toward the windows to see Junior’s house as Tutu pulls up around the circular drive to the front door. “And you better take your shoes off. Just had those floors cleaned.” Tutu reminds even though nobody ever wore shoes in her house. “Melia, you’re staying with me out at the cottage. Jesse and Gia you have the downstairs bedroom. Mariah and Junior master suite and upstairs bedroom.” Tutu knows that Mariah’s bed won’t be slept in but there are still proprieties to be respected.

After dropping his bags on the bed and wandering through the bedroom, bathroom and closet, Junior changes out of his suit and into comfortable clothes and heads down to the family meeting place– the kitchen. First things first he opens up the fridge and is happy to see it stocked with all of his favorites. Tutu had already been hard at work. “Thanks Tutu.”

“Not me.” Tutu shakes her head. She’d done the same changing into her lounging around the house outfit. Melia is already in the wave pool swimming. “It’s that One Phone Call and the Miami Nice girls. You make up the grocery list and they’ll get it for you. I did some grocery shoppin while I was down here just to make sure I know where everything is when I want something special. But easy ‘nough to do with a few computer clicks too.” Tutu flips on the television. They are still within 24 hours of Junior being drafted and the draft is still doing on, and is in round three. Good timing-- here is where a lot of the defensive guys would be picked up.

“Anything on where Case went?” Junior asks about his Syracuse buddy from the Combine.

Tutu points to the computer as if telling him to look for himself and starts putting together a nice dinner they can eat on the lanai. Most of the brass from the Dolphins are still at the draft but getting Junior out of there after the initial press is all about trying to get keep things normal. She goes over to the french doors and hollers out. “Melia, come help with dinner.”

“What are you doing?” Mariah comes over and looks over Junior’s shoulder. She can only get away with it because he’s sitting down at the kitchen computer.

“Seeing who was drafted where in the last three hours.” Junior explains absently. It had been the time getting to and from the airports and the two hour flight.

“You check your email yet?” Mariah asks.

“Oh no.” Junior shakes his head. “I start on that and I’ll be up all night. I just looked at my inbox and backed right back out.”

“Mom, can I do anything to help?” Gia comes in dressed in shorts and one of Jesse’s old jerseys. Her hair style had changed over the years but right now she’s back to the microbraids and has them tied up on the top of her head to keep her hair off her neck.

“Set the table out on the lanai, please, sweetie. Going with cold supper so it’ll just be a few minutes. Where’s Jesse?”

“Look for a place to put in the imu.”

Junior perks at that. “Um... Mariah, can you keep an eye on this and let me know...”

“Go.” Mariah rolls her eyes and gives him a shove taking his place by the computer watching the scroll of who is up, who’d gone where and who is still left to be picked. At a certain point, if not drafted, a player might have a better chance going as a free agent and just picking which team to go to for mini camp see if they can get an invite to training camp. “The things that guy will do for kalua pig.” 

Tutu grins and nods. “Food in general.”

“Tell me about it. I’m so glad to have that contract done. Junior can buy his own food now. And shoes! Do you know how hard it is to find 23EEE? I’d buy anything I could find just because they existed. Talk about fugly. Dara and Roxie are definitely going to have to work on a shoe contract for Junior. Dara will make sure that there are free shoes for life in it.” Gia takes out what she needs to set the table out on the lanai. Knowing, the family’s propensity for outdoor cooking, Leilani had made sure that there was an outdoor kitchen. After setting the table, Gia goes over and checks it out. The grill is nicer than theirs back home but not too surprising. Junior would probably be doing more year round cooking down here.

Mariah gets up and starts pouring pitchers of ice water, juice and ice tea that she takes out to the table along with a bucket of ice. With the bucket and tongs in hand she starts loading up the glasses with ice so they’re ready for the beverage of choice.

Melia brings out the serving dishes as Leilani finishes them and when it’s down to the last one goes to get the guys so they’d have time to wash up before sitting down.

The meal is generously sized and the focus of the family until everyone leans back. The pitchers are circulated so that everyone can refill their glasses. Junior leans back in and starts indicating what his plan is for Port Charles while he’s down in Miami. “Mariah will be staying in the house up in Port Charles until it’s time for her to leave for Europe. She’ll be driving my truck too. Since Tutu is going to be staying with me for the next year and Melia is going to be losing her ride to school and the studio... if it’s okay with you guys Melia can have my truck when Mariah goes to school... and once she passes her test.”

“You just say that cause you’re going to get a new one.” Melia nods knowingly. Junior is a great big brother but he’s not that altruistic. There is something in it for him.

“Oh yeah. Probably this weekend. But my rig is big enough to haul the outriggers from the dance studio and I figure you’re going to need that.”

“Already talked to Winona.” Tutu interjects. “She’s talked to the keikes’ parents. They like the idea of you handling the classes for the little ones. So that way you’ll have money for gas and insurance. They’re comfortable with you since you’ve been helping with class since you were a keike yourself. She’s also willing to have you work the front some while she’s giving class. You’re going to have to figure out the schedule.” 

Melia nods. She’d already talked to Winona about this, not that she would be making money for insurance and fuel but covering from Tutu while she’s down in Florida. Winona had some other instructors lined up too but she’d been working with the kids for years and she knows what the expectations are both from the kids and from the parents.

“Why don’t you ladies do the tourist t’ing, buy some you won’t be able to wear until June or July up in Port Charles. Junior and I are going to work on getting that imu started. Figure going to have to do at least one practice pig before the big luau the day after your first home game.” Jesse puts it out there.

Gia nods and gets to her feet. “And since Tutu put lunch together you guys can do the dishes.” She comes around and gives Jesse a kiss on the cheek and squeezes Junior’s shoulder. “Melia and Mariah, you’re going to want to change before we go shopping. Tutu, you did find all the best places right?”

“If I didn’t I figure you’re going to.” Tutu shake her head but gets to her feet. “Don’t you have that appointment?”

Gia winces. “Junior, I know you’re going to be back to back appointments for the next week doing PR and then minicamp. Roxie said she’d come into the office at about 6p to go over the house details with you.”

“Tutu..”

“It’s your money, Boy. You’re the one that has to make sure it lasts. You’re the one who has to know what things cost because it’s going to be your bruises and blood that are going to be paying for it.” Tutu interrupts him before he goes any further. “Melia, lets go change.” She gets to her feet and walks off to her cottage that is attached to the back of the house.

Jesse and Mariah go up to the master bedroom. Mariah figures she is ready to go just needs to slide on a pair of sandles. She flops down on the bed. She’s not like Elena who’d have an outfit for any occasion including going on a shopping trip with her boyfriend’s mother and grandmother. “Anything I can get while we’re out?”

From inside the big walk in closet, Junior says. “Red. I like you in red– you know the bright red and something that shows off your shoulders.”

“I meant something for you.”

“Yeah, it’s for me. After you go to Port Charles I’m not going to see you again for a month, not until we walk at Graduation. I want to remember you in a red dress. Maybe with some flowers in your hair.” Junior comes out wearing beach jams in a color so bright it would scare sharks.

Mariah laughs and then comments. “No lavalava?” 

“Don’t know the neighbors yet. Got to make it so that they beg me to get rid of the jams.”

“You’re a big football hero now. You might start a trend instead of acid jams. You could be responsible for traffic accidents... for fashion faux pas induced blindness. It could follow you forever like when dad was wearing those saggy jeans that let everyone know he wore hanes– briefs not boxers. He still has people coming up to him to have him sign that picture. I think my mom started picking his clothes out for him not to long after that.” Mariah teases.

“Hell if you’re picking my clothes it will be tshirts, shorts and either deck or workout shoes.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Mariah protests.

“Not a thing. Not a thing.” Taking her hand, Junior pulls her up from the bed and in a smooth motion up over his shoulder.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Mariah squeals and grabs on.

“Saving your feet for the serious shopping to come.” Junior replies and with another quick move reverses her so that she is being carried in his arms properly.

“You’re nuts.” Mariah advises even she is running her hand along his shoulders. And he is about the only guy she knows who could do this... with her... and not have a heart attack or even break a sweat and she is no frail flower.

* * *

Junior’s signing might have been kept secret outside the office. His appointment at 6pm might have been kept quiet outside the office but everyone in the office knew about it and had shown up for work on a Saturday evening. Everyone is in casual clothing because it is Saturday– shorts and sleeveless blouses for the women. Shorts and polo shirts for the guys. Roxie Jackson is the wife of Cassius Jackson the lead singer of the urban group the Michaelsons. About the same time as Cassius had been signed by CSMC talent, she’d been apprenticed to Jenson, Campbell and Winthrop up in Port Charles. Her goal had never been to be a lawyer. 

Roxie is all about Money– making it, investing it, and most importantly keeping it. With that goal in mind she’d studied at the feet of Dara Jenson who despite not being an accountant had managed to make sure that all of her clients made money, grew money and paid just enough taxes to keep the IRS off their asses. Dara isn’t particularly into risk, she’s into long term capitol gains, dividend reinvestment and living off the interest rather than the principle.  
Roxie’s first clients, well other than herself, had been the Michaelsons. She still managed to have a little bit of money left over after paying her school loans– Accounting major, Port Charles University. The Michaelsons– all guys whose alleged fathers had been named Michael-- Cassius, G-man, LeVon had signed with her, LeVon’s Gamma had as well. The guys are big on word of mouth. Heck so is Gamma who’d shared her name with all her cronies down at the senior center. Once she was down in Atlanta she’d been hit with enough business to keep her busy while Cassius was out on the road making the money. Musicians, like athletes and other performers, have a shelf life. There are some that might always be familiar and popular but there are darn few that are going to be filling stadiums thirty years after getting started.   
Need to diversify, have outside interest, have a plan. Dara Jenson is all about the plan and that is something Roxie had taking to heart as well. The guys had come to her at one of their regular meetings right when they’d come off the road and told her that they wanted to be on the business side. CSMC- talent had been good to them and they know that if they use the same model, hell team up with Alecia, that there is could be just as much green on the A&R and producing side. Roxie had told them that she was sure that Baby would finance them set them up with their own studio, their own club, make it part of CSMC Atlanta and then she’d take half. That’s Baby’s business model. The guys had balked at that. Giving Baby or CSMC talent a percentage is reasonable. Giving her half wasn’t what they had in mind. Roxie had asked for a little bit of time to bring the numbers together now because it seemed like all the guys were in agreement. It had taken her a year, the guys had thought she’d blown it off when she came to them with a deal that would involve them all moving to Miami.  
She’d bought a portfolio. It wasn’t Trump standards or even CSMC standards but it was a start. There was a building of condos, industrial size lofts that had 15-20 foot ceilings. If the guys wanted to play bball in the house they could. There had been a small commercial office building that was pretty close to both the county and federal courthouses downtown. That one had been the steep part. There had been two other commercial pieces a club that had been closed by the health department and a music studio. Even if they didn’t make the move to Miami they could have made money off the properties. But this way was better.

Roxie can’t work for CSMC. She’d gotten fired for Conduct Unbecoming from one of the strip clubs and by the time that maybe Mouse or Baby might have welcomed her back into the fold she’d realized the benefit of being affiliated with CSMC but not owned by them. She’d always be under their protection and she had no intention of screwing them... ever. She’d worked in enough CSMC clubs to know exactly how stupid that would be. She liked her life and breathing is a joy.   
The Michaelsons are CSMC and are loyal as well. They’d never screw over Alecia or Mouse not after the way that CSMC talent had taken care of them and their families. Cassius, G and LeVon had been straight with Alecia and Mouse. Taken them out to dinner at the Greek place on the first floor of CSMC Boston and kind of filled them in on the plan. They wouldn’t be signing a next contract. It was time for them to stop being so much up front and take up the behind the scenes stuff. They’d be branching out on their own. They wanted to be affiliated with CSMC. Alecia and Mouse had looked at each other and done some kind of mind reading thing. Alecia had nodded and given her blessing. As long as the new label wasn’t screwing the Talent she’d be happy to collaborate with them.  
The first year in Miami had been weird. The guys were still touring for their last album for CSMC. Levon’s Gamma had come with her thankfully so she wouldn’t be all alone in the new city even as she was trying to get things set up for the guys. Gamma had stopped being such a bitch to her after about her third year married to Cassius. It had been in the third year when Gamma had finally told her to call her Gamma before that it has been Mrs Adams. She’d been making Gamma money for three years before the old woman had finally relented. Now they fly back to Atlanta together on a monthly basis to check up on Roxie’s clients there and Gamma’s friends from the neighborhood. 

Levon had been the Michaelson who had wanted a club so Gamma had worked on getting the club that came with the portfolio all legal and had managed to steal a cook from one of the best bbq places in Miami. Course Gamma had brought her own recipes to the table including one that had her being courted by an upstate New York pit master. The food got noticed and brought the people to the building and about the time the food service wound down the music would start. The club had been the first real success of the portfolio. Gamma had been a big piece of that. She’d been the one there until eight pm every night making sure everything is just so and the money just right. Gamma is also tight with Javier, the head of CSMC– Miami. CSMC Miami has their own club, it’s like a rule of the branches, but Javier is more than willing to make sure LeVon’s place has it’s share of CSMC talent artists working their way through and there are no security issues. Course Gamma had also signed a Miami Nice contract for the club to make sure that the front always looks good. And Gamma had hired Javier’s sister Kiki Ortiz to run the club from 8pm until 4am.

Kiki had basically been born into CSMC... and she’d rebelled against it too. Gone to a college in a town where CSMC didn’t have a presence. Did okay for about a year and then the shit went down. Just about everyone in CSMC knew what had happened to Kiki and nobody talked about it. Or if they did, they talked about the school that hadn’t supported Kiki and what had happened to the pendaho who’d assaulted her. Kiki had transferred to Port Charles University. She’d gone into therapy with Cameron Lewis, Baby’s grandfather, and stayed in therapy with him until she’d graduated from PCU... MBA-- accounting.   
Javier had put the big push on for her to come to Miami. Big brother didn’t want her flying solo in a non CSMC town again. Kiki’s always going to have an issue with what happened to her even if Dr Cam had helped her deal with the fall out. Javier had never gotten therapy, well other than a little vengeance therapy, and he’d never forgiven himself for what happened. It had been a compromise... Kiki would come to Miami but she wouldn’t work for Courtland Street. She’d gone to work for Gamma Adams and Roxie Jackson. 

Roxie had basically been another course of therapy for her. Roxie is sex on a stick. She’d made no secret about her stripper past or that she’d met Cassius over a lapdance. She’d even admitted to Kiki that she’d had some close calls before she’d gone to work for CSMC. Because the move to Miami had been her idea Roxie frequently showed up at the club especially when Cassius, G and LeVon were out of town to make sure that things are being done right. And Roxie looked so good that she scared most men. Roxie had been the one that had taken her shopping for work clothes, club clothes, the one who had given her pointers on attitude. Who’d made sure that she owned her space and wouldn’t wimp out at the first sign of intimidation from someone who happened to possess a penis.   
Roxie had taught her that it was okay to be girl, a good looking girl, and to trust the back of her neck rather than jumping when someone said boo. Roxie figured that she’d graduated that course when she’d said Boo back. So Wednesday thru Saturday night Kiki worked the club 8pm to 4am and Tuesday thru Friday she worked at the office putting her MBA in accounting to work. Normally she wouldn’t be here on a Saturday night at 6pm. Course normally Junior Kahanalua isn’t going to be here on a Saturday night.

As an alum of Port Charles University, Kiki is familiar with both Junior and his girlfriend Mariah Radcliffe. Dara and Gia had managed the guilt money the college had forked over as part of the settlement. She’d met Gia more than a couple of times up in Port Charles. She’d sat in on few conference calls too between Roxie and Dara Jenson. People didn’t normally realize how cautious Roxie is when it comes to her own money or the Michaelsons. Roxie has total confidence when dealing with someone else’s money but when it came to her own or her guys she’d double check things with Dara.   
Dara steered business their way. Because of Dara they’d gotten Steve Johnson of the Miami Heat back when he was a rookie. Dara and Gia would also use space in the offices down by the courthouse if they had to be in town for Cat 5 business or working some of their other clients down here in Florida. One Phone Call, Mona Dupree’s business, had also pushed clients Roxie’s way. Javier had done his bit too. When Baby’s brother, Morgan Benson, had finally wanted to get out from under the really stale law firm he’d been working at Javier had let him know about Roxie.... and that she was not CSMC. Evidently that had been a big selling point with Morgan. 

So normally when the building would be empty for the weekend and even the over achievers would have cleared out to have some kind of weekend- Roxie, Kiki, Morgan, Morgan’s secretary Maria are all in the office and awaiting the arrival of Junior Kahanalua, the number one draft pick of not only the draft but specifically of Miami. Maria normally ran Morgan’s office but today she’s sitting at the receptionist seat for their building. She wants to be the first one to check out the new guy. And her eyes get wide when he arrives. He is a BIG new guy. She’s familiar with basketball players, Steve Johnson even Pete, one of Morgan’s best friends and an ex roommate but this guy is BIG. Greek god... nah Polynesian god big. She goes over to the front door and unlocks it. “Hi, Roxie is up in her office.”

“Sorry to bring you guys in on the weekend. It’s just that my folks are going back to Port Charles tomorrow.”

“No problem, no problem at all.” Maria stands back to let in Junior and his family. She recognizes Gia Campbell of course and she knows that Gia is tall at least 5ft 9 tall and she is dwarfed by Mariah Radcliff, Junior and Jesse Kahanalua. She locks the door after them and then getting in front leads the way to the elevator. She does a quick best guess calculation and figures that their little elevator can handle the traffic. The building is actually only three stories tall. The first floor is the lobby and reception are with a couple of small leased businesses. The second floor is more leased office space and up on the third floor is the space that Roxie has split with Morgan Benson. On the right leaving the elevator is Morgan’s offices and on the left is JAM. Jackson Asset Management.


	2. Chapter 2

Jackson Asset Management is Roxie’s baby. She may look like the wife of the lead singer of an urban group. She may look like a woman who could handle herself and her man and keep the hoochies away. And she is those things. She is also a very conservative money manager who basically pushed her clients to live on the interest and not touch the principle. Because she’s got a lot of guys who are boom or bust with their money whether it’s athletes or musicians, she is pushing them to build their principle while they can. The one thing Roxie doesn’t look like but she is right down to her core is a bean counter. The first meeting with a client is about the client’s profession and it’s about averages. What is the average career expectancy of an NBA player? A pop singer? One of Baby’s front line guys? An NFL Player? 

At least with Junior she is preaching to the converted. Junior is a student of history and not just his degree out of PCU. He knows that in a lot of ways he’s stepping in his dad’s footprints. Jesse had 12 years in the NFL and a lot of them had been for a small market team like the Port Charles Stallions, not a lot of endorsement opportunities there. He’d gone to the pro bowl basically every year that he’d played but the Stallions had never been able to put together an offense that would get them to the Super Bowl. The playoffs yes and they’d been a spoiler for a lot of other teams’ Super Bowl aspirations. Offense wins games and Defense stops the other guy from winning the game. The Stallions had always had a top notch defense.

Roxie holds a hand out to Junior. Part of her is wondering if she’ll get it back. The guy is big. Junior takes her hand in a gentle grip and after the introductions adds, “Dara told me I’d be safe in your hands.” 

Roxie nods. “Doesn’t mean that you aren’t going to be hiring an independent auditor to review your books at least every two years and sooner if you like. That’s just good management practice. How do you want to do this, Junior? One on one or...”

“Everyone here has a piece.” Junior shrugs. “Even Melia although she’s back at the house.”

“Conference room then.” Roxie turns to her associate. “Kiki, could you grab the file while I get everyone set up?”

“No problem.” Kiki goes into Roxie’s office and grabs the thick file that had been forwarded by Dara Jenson. Dara had done the groundwork on this one with Gia and Junior up in Port Charles. Roxie’s piece so far had been working with Tutu to get all the pieces in place here in Miami.

Roxie waits at the top of the conference table until everyone is around a seat and then with a hand motion has them all take a seat. “Okay so it’s right there in my company title-- Asset Management. You’re starting at a different place than a lot of clients who are facing a rookie contract whether it’s sports or entertainment and the week before they’d been on food stamps. I don’t normally have a guy walking in the door who already owns two houses, a tricked out truck and the 72 inch big screen.”

“Mariah is going to be staying in the Port Charles house until she graduates and goes to work in Europe. Melia is going to get my truck the same time and I needed the big screen for watching tape.”

“Uh. Huh. Sure.” Roxie rolls her eyes and grins at Gia.

Gia grins back. “Boys and toys. I’m not worried about the toys. Heck Junior and Jesse could have been out buying a truck down here today instead they were out in Junior’s back yard getting a start on an imu.”

“Imu?”

Tutu is the one that answers. “Earth oven. A Pit big enough to cook a whole pig for a luau.”

“Oh my.” Roxie hopes the drool isn’t showing.

“It’s got to be finished by the first home game of the regular season.” Junior explains. “It’s kind of a tradition to have a big party. Tutu started it with my dad his second year in the league and then the family kept it up when I started playing from pop warner on. You’ll be invited. There will be plenty.”

“Thanks. I’ll take you up on that.”

Gia gets back to business. “Junior is going to need an agent. Negotiating with the Dolphins was one thing. It was easy enough to do with one contract... I sincerely doubt that anyone else had an advocate as motivated as Dara. And Dara did do some agent type work for Kyle Radcliffe back when he was playing soccer but it’s not her thing.”

Roxie nods. “We ran into this when Dara pushed Steve Johnson our way. We weren’t planning on going in the agent business and I’m sure there are a lot more cut throat agents out there. JAM is about asset management– we’re accountants. Frankly the thing that agents normally screw up royally. But Florida requires all athlete agents to be licensed so both Kiki and I are licensed here in Florida just to make sure there are no grey areas. Morgan Benson does our legal contracts.”

Gia nods at Junior. “He’s good. Especially if you are going to be getting foreign contracts... sports drinks in Mexico or something like that. He does mostly international work. And now that he’s out on his own doesn’t have to put up with the BS that his old firm was pushing. Dara and I will use his library if we’re working down here on a case.”

Mariah interjects. “Junior can’t even look at his email it’s been so insane since he was picked. Hell since he finished his last class because he technically graduated back in January but is sticking around to walk.”

Kiki is leaning against the wall and letting Roxie take the lead. “Time for you to change email addresses and give it out only to trusted family and friends. And of course a post office box. It’s like winning the lottery. You have to insulate yourself from the crazies.”

Gia nods. “Jesse and I know someone who won a lottery. Penny Cassadine. It does feel familiar. Penny basically went into hiding for awhile.”

“Junior doesn’t have that luxury. But at least you guys could see this train coming.”

Tutu nods. “And Miami doing what they did... it helped with planning as well. We’ve had over a month rather than a week like the players drafted today and trying to nail down a contract.”

“You know you are very lucky with the support network you’re already got in place, right?”

“Oh yeah.” Junior agrees.

“Okay well I’m going to be reviewing what you set up with Dara. Your parents and Tutu want you to know exactly how much every thing is costing that way hopefully you’ll stay grounded. Seventy five million sounds like Monopoly money even when it’s spread out over five years. And let me be blunt for a second... the number one cause of athletes losing their shirts?”

“What?”

“Divorce. Anything that will cut your portfolio in half overnight is to be avoided. Before I married Cassius, I was sitting at a table like this one with Baby Ashton and Dara Jensen on my side of the table. Cassius was the one on the other side of the table with his low rent wannabe lawyer. Dara also took both Cassius and me aside and gave us the same speech she probably gave you before you put your name on the contract that Miami offered.”

“I do okay on my own.” Mariah shakes her head. “Things are already lined up for after college and my parents have made sure that I have a trust of my own as a safety net. Unless I start doing something stupid like drugs, I’ll be doing just fine.”

Roxie nods as she leans and the passion for what she does comes through. “Good. And I know you’ve already been working on setting up your second career. I know that you are a journalism major out of PCU and have been hosting Jock’s Table for the last three years. I didn’t know what a big deal that was but Kiki filled me in since she graduated from PCU. I know you and Junior have been together since... what junior high?   
I am not in any way disrespecting your relationship. I’m sure you’ve had a chat with your mother already about what it’s like to be married to a professional athlete, or if you haven’t then you should. They’ve managed to make it work. Hell I want to talk to your mother. Screw being a big time designer; she should give us lessons. I wasn’t exactly a gem to be around when Cassius was on the road touring. You think jocks have a reputation, try the whole sex, drugs and rock and roll mystique. Not a picnic. You have to be a very confident woman with a lot of trust in your man to put up with that bull.”   
With that Roxie turns to look at Junior and makes sure she has his total focus. “You’ve got a strong woman there. She can take care of herself and if you abuse her trust I’m sure she could tell you to kiss her ass and mean it. Okay. Lecture over. Feel free to ask for a rerun whenever needed. Tutu told me that you are all signed up with One Phone Call?”

Tutu nods. “Mona comes in handy specially when trying to get hotel or plane reservations. So she figured out about Junior being picked by Miami. She’s got a lot of athletes that use her service of course– so she lined me up with Miami Nice for the housekeeping, security and also a lawn service. Although Junior will probably do some of the yard work too. Those NFL boys have Tuesday off during the season.”

“And we know that Mona has ties to CSMC, that Mouse actually keeps an eye on her phones in the overnight hours.” Gia agrees. “There aren’t many things that are secret from Mouse.”

Roxie nods. She isn’t saying anything that Gia doesn’t already know but she wants it on the record since Junior is the client. “We’re not Courtland Street but we’re in good standing with them. Cassius and the rest of the group have their own studio now are developing their own acts. Doesn’t mean that he isn’t on the phone to Alecia up in Boston at least once a week. If Cassius has someone that he thinks would fit better up there he refers them and Alecia does the same. Cassius uses a lot of the same business tracks for his artists, the same dup facility. The Club that LaVon owns isn’t CSMC but we book CSMC acts, even have some of the CSMC drinks on the menu. Kiki’s brother is Javier Ortiz, the head of CSMC- Miami...”

“And Morgan Benson is Baby’s brother.” Gia cuts in. “JCW does business with CSMC too up in Port Charles but as far as friendship is concerned– if I’m putting together a foursome for golf then I’m contacting Tasha and Zander– Baby’s mom and stepdad, not Baby. Jesse and I have known them both for years. Tasha was my mentor when I was in college and deciding to be a lawyer before I teamed up with Dara. And the last time Jesse and Zander were down in Miami together they both came back with tattoos as souvenirs. We have no problem with affiliated with CSMC, Junior just has to keep separate any perception of influence by CSMC because of their gambling and loan shark components.”

“None of our athletes have run into any problem with their leagues and Roxie has been doing this for over five years.” Kiki says from the wall. 

“And the Musicians don’t care if there is a perception of influence because CSMC is still cleaner than the rest of that industry. The goal, our goal, is to make sure that Junior is in charge of his assets but that he can focus on football. We’re going to be using all options at our disposal to make sure that happens. We aren’t picky when it comes to the security and safety of our clients. First thing is handling Junior’s mail. All of it will be opened here unless it’s a name on Junior or Tutu’s list of approved senders. If we come across anything that raises flags then my first phone call isn’t going to be to the cops or to Mona but to Mouse. Because I know he’ll be able to track the author down and tell me if the threat is real and something that needs to be flagged and taken to the cops.”

Jesse nods. “Good. Dara did that for me up in Port Charles too while I was playing. One of the things Junior has that I didn’t is endorsement potential... sure he’s a defense guy like me but he was the number one pick and he’s with a big team with a winning history.”

“A shoe contract with a rider for shoes for life would be nice.” Gia adds. “23EEE.”

“Wow.” Roxie looks at Junior. “I didn’t think they made shoes bigger than 20.”

“For the most part they don’t. That’s why Mom wants a shoe contract.”

* * *

“He still here?” Pete Harris asks his best friend’s secretary.

Maria knows exactly who he is talking about and is keeping a close eye on the glass windows and door that leads out to the third floor lobby. “Haven’t seen them leave and I let him in but I bet that Roxie or Kiki will let him and his family out. He’s big. I mean really big. I mean I knew he was big but the guy blocks the sun. He’s huge.” Maria holds her hands far apart like the breadth of Junior’s shoulders.

“So you’re think positive thoughts on the Dolphins this year?”

“Still need to get a running game, the running backs need to stop putting it on the turf. Fumbles killed us last year. I think that is why they brought Junior in... to even up on the take aways. Course it would help if we stopped giving it away.”

“How did Morgan end up with a secretary who loves football? I mean he plays soccer, I, his very best friend in the entire world, play hoops.”

“Office manager, please.” Maria corrects. “And it’s the pants. If the basketball players were still wearing the same shorts as back in the seventies I’d be a basketball fan.”

“Come on, College is a purer game anyway.”

“Excuse me?!” Maria shakes her head in disbelief. “The pounding those guys get... a pure game is one where they get paid.”

“Uncle Pete!” A spitfire of a little girl runs out of the back office. Leigh has the white blonde hair of a natural blonde who spends as much time outside as she can. She’s petite for four but very quick. At her announcement there is a shout from the other room and Pete knows that there is going to be company quick. Leigh climbs up on a chair and holds her hands out to be picked up. 

Pete does and gives her a quick smooch and then is hit by Leigh’s little brother who is attempting to climb him like monkey bars. “Hey buddy. Where is your dad?”

“On the phone to ‘stralia.” The three year old little boy informs. “So we have to hush.”

“Where is your mom?”

“Work.” Lil George sticks out his lip. He could pout just as well as Morgan about Lisa going to work, and she only works as a nurse now a couple of days a month. Just enough to keep her license current– but because she’s Lisa she’s also going to work the shifts that give her the maximum amount of money for the least amount of work– weekend twelves. Lisa works maybe 48 hours in a month and Morgan and George both bitch about it. It’s pitiful, and amusing.

Morgan comes out to into the reception area. He is dressed in khaki shorts a polo shirt that is untucked and deck shoes. “Heard you arrived.” He says wryly. It had been hard to miss with the kids doing the announcing.

“Oh my.” Maria’s hushed tones draw the gaze of the men to the lobby where Roxie is leading out Junior and his family. Gia gives Morgan a nod and a wink but keeps on walking. She’d call Morgan later.

Kiki comes over to their office. Pete leans over to give her a kiss at the same time Leigh is possessively pushing Kiki away. Uncle Pete is hers. Pete makes peace by leaning over and giving Leigh a kiss behind the ear where he knows she’s ticklish and stepping half a step back from Kiki. “How did it go?”

“Good.” Kiki nods. She rolls her eyes at the little girl but doesn’t take offense. Leigh did the same thing to George if she thought that Pete was giving her little brother too much attention. “Roxie basically figured everything out when she branched out from Musicians to athletes with Steve Johnson. And Junior is a totally different guy than Steve. He isn’t as marketable as Steve but he’s a lot more... grounded.”

“What do you expect from a mountain?” Maria counters. She turns to Morgan. “I want Dolphin season tickets for my bonus this year and I want them now... not Christmas.”

“Really? Not ticket but tickets. Huh. Amazon is going to be pissed. Can I afford it?”

“How did the conference call go?”

“Good.”

“You can afford it. I’m not talking luxury box just good seats lower level red zone seats.”

“And you will be taking your boss to a couple of these games right?”

Maria sighs. “Fine but you buy the concessions.”

“Deal.”

Kiki tells Maria. “Mona could probably track down better seats than Ticketmaster.”

“Excellent.” Maria rubs her hands together gleefully.

“I have to get to work.” Kiki tells Pete.

He nods over Leigh’s head and mouths. “See you later.”

She mouths back. “You’re whipped... by a four year old.”

* * *

About two hours later, Kiki is at the club. It’s called LeVantage. Roxie said they would have gone with LeVonage but there was a company of nearly the same name and there would have been all kind of legal issues. She and Gamma Adams meet up to pass the baton. LeVantage started prep early in the day about the same time as the club was closing at 4am, long before even Gamma got in. The Miami Nice crew was in cleaning and the pit crew were there cleaning the smoker and getting it prepped for another day of smoking meats.   
If it were a Hard Rock you’d be able to get a tshirt in the foyer while waiting for a table. At LeVantage you could get orders of ribs or other BBQ to go. It’s an option a lot of the locals take if they are going to the beach or picnic-ing or even having a family thing at home. LeVantage takes reservations not only for the restaurant but also for the smoked meats. The last seating in the restaurant ended up not having a cover when the club opened at nine. So the club is normally hopping from the time it opens until the time it closes rather than waiting until 11 or later to really get going.

“You don’t normally work in the office on Saturday. Not unless it’s tax season.” Gamma looks for signs that Kiki is tired.

“Junior Kahanalua doesn’t show up every Saturday. I was at the office to check out the scenery rather than to get a lot of work done.” Kiki grins at the older woman. “I cannot believe he is the same guy that I watched on the field back at PSU. He is sooo... nice.” She laughs. “I guess he gets all his aggression out on the field. How was today.”

“Busy.” Gamma says happily. “We did some extra brisket and sold out of that too. I’m going to have to rework the supply orders.”

“Summer is coming.” Kiki agrees. “You’re going to have a lot more togo orders. There is your ride.” Kiki nods in the direction of a driver in a black car with tinted windows. It looks like a luxury vehicle and it is– with armor plating and bullet proof glass. The driver works for CSMC and provides armed security. The club uses them twice a day and the times varied a little but only a little. They would drive Gamma by the bank and then home and then at 4am they’d do the same for her. Kiki walks Gamma to the car and makes she she’s comfortable in the front passenger seat. She looks over at the driver. “Hey Mike.”

“Hey Kiki. Eddie will be picking you up tomorrow and he’ll call when he’s close.”

“Thanks Mike. Drive safe.” Kiki steps away from the car and after the door is shut taps on the roof to give the all clear. With an easy stride she walks back to the club. Gamma is out of the building. Now it’s time to turn this place into a totally different kind of meat market.


	3. The LOOP– the LOfts Off the Park

Roxie lives in the condo loft complex she and the Michaelsons own. She doesn’t know if any of the other tenants know she owns it and doesn’t particularly care. There is a property manager who handles the details of the six story 72 unit property so she could focus on JAM, Cassius and their family. Kiki has a one bedroom unit here so do G and LeVon. LeVon spends most of his downtime over at his Gamma’s house being spoiled rotten but he’s a player and has to have a crib for the ladies. 

Steve Johnson has a big two bedroom unit up on the fifth floor but it’s two levels tall so it kind of counts as a penthouse. Roxie had been able to pick up the building pretty cheap because of a housing slump that had the lofts with major empty units nearly thirty percent were vacant when she started. There are plenty who had been happy to see the building change hands especially when Roxie started aggressively filling the vacant units. Cassius used the CSMC Boston building as an example and reminded her there were always a few apartment open there that work for visiting artists. Now there are normally a couple of units open but they are seldom the same units open for long. She and the management group also tried to talk the tenants into properties swaps when there are big deals in town like the grammys or the Latin Music Awards. There are more than a few artists who liked having the privacy of a home base rather than a hotel. Industrial style lofts had caught on about as much as kareoke in Miami– in other words-- not at all. But snowbirds from big northern cities seemed to love them. 

Steve Johnson liked the open space of the loft. If he wanted to play bball in his living room he could. When he was on the road he didn’t have to worry about water leaks or mowing the lawn. He’d also had his girlfriend from up in Port Charles come down and wire his place up better than that KIT car in the old Knight Rider. After seeing what Georgie Jones had done for SJ, Roxie had Georgie wire up the JAM building, the lofts, the club and the studio while Georgie was down for the birth of Morgan and Lisa’s baby, George, three years ago. It’s a sweet system but it’s nothing like what Steve Johnson has. 

Steve also has a big dog. Not a mastiff or a pit or those stereotypical macho man dogs but a golden retriever who had flunked out of guide dog training. Steve’s girl has a problem with night blindness and while Steve’s dog might have flunked out of training it was trained enough to be just right for Georgie getting around Miami without a problem day or night. And the dog is sweet, a real love and even people afraid of dogs made exceptions for Steve’s dog. Which is probably why the dog flunked guide training. Steve had named the dog Lucy evidently after some broad he’d met up in Port Charles who had a habit of putting her nose into everything.

“I’m not a burglar. But I am here for the goods.” A male voice comes out of the dark.

“Is that my lover? You know my man is expected back into town tomorrow.”

“What’s going to happen if he shows up a day early.”

“Well then I guess we’re both dead meat.” Roxie leans up against the wall right inside the door and watches as Cassius stalks up to her. He is wearing hip skimming loose white drawstring pants, no shirt and no shoes. The man is fine and he knows it. He’s nasty and she knows it. “Where are the kids?”

With their version of hello over with, Cassius lifts Roxie wrapping her legs around his waist. “LeVon took them over to Gamma’s house. We’ll need to pick them up in the morning before church.”

Roxie groans. Not just because Cassius knows all the spots that drive her insane but also because he’d said before church. There is a price to be paid for this homecoming and babysitting. That means picking up the kids and going to church with Gamma and LeVon. “It’s a good thing you’re worth it.”

“You’re wearing too many clothes.”

“You wanna watch me take them off?” Roxie murmurs in his ear.

“Oh yeah.” With that Cassius swings around and carries Roxie to a raised platform that has a pole right in the middle of it. Normally the kids used it like a fireman pole to get from their bedrooms down to the main level in a hurry. It was a hell of a lot quieter than them running up and down the stairs. But on nights like these the pole served a different purpose. Cassius already had his comfy chair lined up to watch the show. The curtains are wide open. The angle is wrong for anyone in the building to see them but if some stranger in the park or across got to see the show it’s no big. After all it’s the way she used to make her money. Hell it even added a little to the spice. It’s like when she went to a Michaelsons event she always dressed in club clothes that followed every curve of her body. Cassius had no problem showing her off whether it was club, home or church. Cassius settles back with his controller in hand. He starts the music first- -his personal remix of Nasty Girl from the original done by Inaya Day and then brings up the lights on the platform. “Now there’s my little money maker.”

* * *

It’s Saturday night in the club and business is brisk. As the manager, Kiki is equal parts sweet and stern. She could be sweet and considerate, making sure that everything is taken care of and everyone is having a good time. And she could be stern nipping the first signs of trouble in the bud. LeVantage has excellent security not just the cameras that are constantly monitored from the office above but also well trained guys who could and would remove troublemakers. Everyone who worked for LeVantage wore a bluetooth like device to keep good communication. 

All the exits are unlocked and have security on them. People leaving are told they’d be welcome back– through the front door and as space allowed. Kiki keeps a careful watch on the club’s capacity of 500. Roxie doesn’t believe in giving money away through fines or tickets. 

Le Vantage isn’t the biggest nightclub in Miami but it is one on everyone’s list. Mostly because it’s all about the fun. Roxie had put in a metal detector. Didn’t matter to Roxie if the person had a carry permit. She’d refused service. They could take their carry permit and carry it on down the road. The regulars know all they need is their credit card, their ID and probably not even their car keys. There are a couple of different DJ’s rotating in. Each has a following and of course a mix of live acts from the Michaelsons stable and CSMC. The average age of patron varied from day to night. During the day, everyone would be here from kids to elders, locals and tourists. At night, if there is someone over thirty they probably feel like they walked into the wrong place.

It’s the way that Pete feels sometimes and he’s not even thirty yet. He swears the kids keep getting younger and younger. At least he’d been recognized by the bruisers at the front door guarding the rope. Kiki already has her eyes toward the front door from her position by the bar. Those little ear pieces made it hard for anyone to sneak up on her. “Hey babe, sorry I’m late.” He leans in close to be heard over the music.

“Leigh want an extra story?” Kiki quips and then grins when Pete looks away.

“Busy night huh.” He tries to change the subject.

“She did! I was kidding about you being whipped but you so totally are!” Kiki reaches up on the toes of her four inch heels and grabbing him by the shoulder pulls him down to her. She gives him a big smooch right on the mouth. “You’re adorable.”

Pete flushes but then quips. “Hey babysitting has always been part of my job description. It’s kind of a relief when its really a baby. You have time for a break?”

Kiki taps her ear piece. “Taking break. Start rotations okay?”

In her ear. “Got it, Kik. If you’re stopping at the kitchen you could pick me something up.”

“No problem.” Kiki takes Pete’s hand so that she doesn’t loose him in the crush and makes her way back to the kitchen. Even as she’s moving she sees the rotations start. There is always a couple of spare guys on Saturday, whether it was security, bartender, or wait staff. This gave them an opportunity to rotate the positions which worked better for business security and made sure that everyone got their break and didn’t get bored. Someone would really have to be a regular to know all the guys who rotated into covering the front ropes.

The kitchen gets a work out but it is nothing like during the day. Kiki goes back to the warming drawer and pulls out three plates that have already been prepped and goes back to the service elevator in the back of the kitchen. There are actually two elevators in the place. When in the kitchen and one in the front both are marked service elevators. They had to be keyed by staff to work or an override done at the office. The office is where the money and security really is.

“Hey Wheels. Howzit going?”

“I hate Saturday nights. Friday nights people just want have fun. Saturday they are getting broke and desperate.” The guy in the wheelchair announces even as he motors back a little bit to give Kiki room to slide a plate in front of him.

“Gamma made it for you special.” Kiki tells him. “So enjoy.” She steps back and automatically checks out all the cameras that record every facet of the club action and the booths up on the second floor. Wheels flagged things he saw along the way and only notified her if there were issues that needed immediate attention. They’d always had security of course– it’s a club. But after Roxie had the tech updated three years ago by Georgie Jones the updates had paid for themselves within three months and there had been a turnover in staff who had been a little too casual between what was tips and what belonged to the house. LeVon is an easy going guy but Roxie doesn’t like people who steal from her. She also cleaned out those who were letting people in the wrong door or without paying a cover as well.

Roxie and Georgie had found Wheels at a local community college going to school for a geek degree. He’d been hit by a car when he was 14 while bicycling. Didn’t matter that he’d been in the right. Car vs Bicycle– Car is going to win every time. Georgie and Rox hadn’t been looking for a guy in a chair. Wheels was just the best. They hadn’t installed the elevators for him. The elevators has already been there because the big meat coolers are up on this level too. Gamma wanted the money hurricane proof– and that’s money whether it’s the computers, sides of beef or actual cash and receipts.

Javier met Wheels when he’d been visiting his sister’s club and it made such perfect sense to have the ultimate security guy be in a chair. CSMC should have thought of it first. They didn’t need legs; they needed big brains and a chess like mastery of detail. He’d told Jeff Brown of CSMC Philly about it. Jeff is the closest he knows to someone wired into the gimp scene. Jeff had a stroke before going to work for CSMC Philly and had done the whole rehab thing. He still did a lot of time in the chair but did a little time on a walker too. Philly also has the only building that is totally handicap access. And that building is around a whole bunch of colleges. Probably the best way to find the same skill set. It has already paid off. Marco from CSMC Philly found two. One went to CSMC – LA to run security at the Tower Building and the other went to Keith in The City. Mona had dibs on the next one Marco finds that fits the bill. She has been running One Phone Call with Mouse for years and is ready for someone to come in and start picking up the slack so she can have a holiday that doesn’t involve taking her cell and laptop with her.

Kiki and Pete go over to Kiki’s office which is actually just a desk over in the corner of Wheel’s domain. This is where the books and safe are. There are hydraulic tubes behind all the three bars and at the front. They work just like a drive thru at the bank getting the money off the floor and sending down change as needed. The desk itself is cleared of stuff. Both Kiki and Gamma are demons for clear horizontal surfaces when it came to work spaces. Something that drives nuts the people who know them. Course Gamma and Kiki know the truth. They have a junk drawer and some days the surfaces are cleaned with a quick sweep into the drawer. But the clear surface makes it easier to set up the plates and sit down to a semi quiet meal filling each other about their day. 

The din from the club doesn’t reach here and Wheels has the sound off except for what comes through the communication system. Kiki tells Pete about meeting Junior and his family. Pete tells her about what is going on over with the Heat in the back office. The Heat are working on the playoffs but Pete is already working on next season: who is going to be up for trades, who is going to be going in the draft. Pete stopped worrying about the current season after the mid-season trade deadline and started working the next. Didn’t mean he doesn’t get called into babysit on occasion if one of the current players is a head case. Unfortunately, he’d built a reputation for dealing with head cases. Steve Johnson had been a head case his rookie year until he met up with Georgie Jones. He still had moments of head case-ness when the new rookies came onto the team. Did they get a big package? Are they going to be taking his minutes? When Pete saw the crap starting he snitched the guy off to Georgie in a heartbeat suggesting it would be a good time for her to take a Miami vacation. He knows that his loyalty should have been to Jacques to win the girl. But keeping SJ sane left him with one less headache to worry about on a day to day basis. 

“Position twelve out of communication.” Wheels announces and starts rotating the view to the cameras on the side door.

“Is he up for break?” Kiki gets up from the desk and goes over to the monitors.

“Soon. But not quite yet. He’s a newby he might be trying to... oh yeah, trying to handle rather than letting us know what was going on.” Wheels shakes his head. He’s already calling in assistance from other areas.

“I know that guy.” Kiki mutters. She turns around and points at Pete. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Pete knows she means it. When Kiki first moved to town, he’d tried on occasion to be the white knight for her here at work and got his head handed to him by both Kiki and Roxie. If muscle is needed they have plenty of hired muscle. If Kiki or Roxie were called in, it was to talk things down. Some times having a big guy around just escalates a situation. “Don’t take long or you’re going to have to nuke your plate. Or I’ll eat it. One or the other.” Pete quips.

Kiki growls. “Now this guy has really ticked me off.” Kiki heads out of the office and to the elevator that is nearest to the problem area. Hell at this point it would be faster to go out the kitchen back door and come in the side door rather than having to cross the floor. She informs Wheels of her intentions so that the can make sure there is no problems at that side door on the exterior.

“All clear, Kiki.” Wheels announces. “Have coverage on the side door who knows you’re coming. Newby has back up but they are hanging back until you get there. They are leaving it to you.”

“Good. And I am going to want transcripts on talking to the guy as well as Wallace. And he’s going to need to sign his.”

“Transcript?” Pete has pulled up a chair and brought his plate with him as he watches the action. 

Wheels seeing the interest turns up the volume on the area of conflict. “Yeah, transcript. Kiki will get newby boy to admit he fucked up leaving his post and not calling for back up. I’ll print it up and he’ll sign it before end of shift. It’s his written warning. Next one and he’s gone. Unless Kiki can’t get this one under control then both of them will be gone. And this guy is definitely bumped back to riding shotgun on posts. He should have called me or Kiki in as soon as he saw the problem.”

Pete watches as Kiki enters the area. She is standing a little bit straighter and he watches as she runs her hand over her hair that is already smooth and tosses the long pony tail over her shoulder. The dress she is wearing would be useless in a brawl and those shoes were useless as well unless the guy is already on the deck and she was grinding the heels into body parts. “Rueben.” Kiki says in a normal voice that draws the drunk’s attention to her.

“Kiki– did you see what that asshole did to me? What the hell? You hiring from the gorilla enclosure at the zoo now?”

Kiki nods. “I did. I saw exactly what he did and believe me we’re going to have a talk but not now. Now it’s you and me.” She cuts in front of Wallace. 

The other guy that is there as back up leans forward to Wallace. “Step back and turn on your ear piece or you’re going to be picking up your check as soon as she’s done with him.”

Wallace flushes. He takes a step back and turns on his ear piece. He opens his mouth to protest his good intentions to the back up but as soon as he turns on his ear Wheels goes to work.

“You say one word right now that distracts Kiki from cleaning up your mess and her brother will take you Marlin fishing... as bait. Shut up, watch, listen, learn and you might still have a job at the end of the night. And before you say a word we’ve got dij on everything. She knows what happened.”

“I want him fired.” The drunk slurs affronted on the way he’d been treated.

“I know you do.” Kiki agrees. “Rueben, you know better than putting a hand on one of my girls. If you want them to call you a cab then ask. Don’t make me ask for you.”

“Kiki...”

“Rueben, if I 86 you it won’t be just from the Club. Gamma won’t let you in the building during the day either.”

“Fuck, Kiki, it’s wasn’t a big deal. He made it a big deal.” Rueben points at Wallace.

“My girls are not on the menu, ever. It’s one of the reasons why you want your sister to work here right?” Kiki lets that one sink in and then moves in closer to Rueben. She motions behind her back for Wallace and the other back up to pull back and let her handle it. The temperature has already gone down. “Rueben, you’re just like my big brother. You know any guy who put hands on your sister the way you did Gabi you’d slit his throat.” Kiki appeals to his macho.

Rueben breaks eye contact. He knows Kiki is right about his sister. He would.

“Wheels, call Rueben a cab okay?” Kiki says.

Rueben knows that she is talking the guy at the other end of the ear piece. “Aw, Kiki.”

“It’s getting late, Rueben.” Kiki shrugs. “Come on, I’ll walk you out so that you can settle up.” She strings a hand thru Rueben’s arm. “You went one drink over and you’re going to hate yourself in the morning especially if Gamma finds out about this. Next time you come in for a side of ribs...”

“Gabi didn’t say anything.” Rueben protests but he starts walking toward the front door. He even puts a hand up in front of Kiki to block for her as they make their way to the front.

“She shouldn’t have to... ever. And you owe her an apology and a big tip. The big tip tonight and the apology tomorrow or the next time you come in when you’re total sober and make it as sweet as I know you can be. A good apology goes a hell of a lot further than an ass grab.” Kiki counsels. She waits while Rueben settles up his bill up front. When she puts her hand out Rueben knows it’s for Gabi’s tip and it had better be a good one. 

He pulls a bill out of wallet. “Tell her I’m sorry okay?”

“I will but it won’t mean anything until you do. So don’t put it off too long okay?”

Rueben nods and starts to the front door. He can already see the cab waiting out front.

Kiki walks him out to the cab and gives him a hug and a kiss on both cheeks. “I’ll see you later right?”

“Yeah.” Rueben says sheepishly as he climbs into the back of the cab.

Kiki waits until the cab pulls out and even gives a wave and then she goes back into the club. Wallace is waiting right inside the door. “And that is how it’s done. The only time you turn off your earpiece is when you’re on break and you weren’t on break. You are now. Take your break and then after break report to the office. Wheels will have the transcripts ready for you.” Kiki goes to the front elevator and keying in goes back up to the office. She looks right into the camera. “Pete, you better not have eaten my dinner and, Wheels, have Gabi come up on her break as well to get her tip from Rueben.”

* * *

Roxie has no problem with church: no problem with God, Jesus and the holy gospel. Major problems with waking early on a Sunday her one real day off that she spent with the family and then getting dressed up in her finest including pantyhose... in Miami and going to a church that believes air conditioning is the work of the devil and that fans had been good enough for the faithful in generations past. Outhouses had been good enough for generations past doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have a flush toilet. She is looking in the mirror and applying her eye makeup while holding her phone to her ear. “Gamma, it’s Roxie. Did Cassius being over everything the children are going to need for church? Kay. I’ll bring over Ali’s dress shoes. We should be there in about thirty minutes.”

“What did I forget?”

“Ali’s dress shoes.” Roxie puts away her make up and clears out of the bathroom. They have two sinks and plenty of room in the master bath for both of them but giving space is always a good thing.

Cassius hands her the clothes that he’d picked up off the floor from the main level. “All present and accounted for.” 

Roxie rolls her eyes and taking them dumps them in the hamper. Then she goes to the closet and get out her secret weapon. She’d known that sooner or later she was going to be going to go Gamma’s church. And she was going to get over on that woman even if it was on the passive aggressive side. She’d driven Tutu around looking for a house for Junior. She’d driven around that designer that Mona recommended– India Hughes. And she’d driven around the contractor that India had wanted ramroding the updates since they were on a tight clock with Junior’s house. Isaac Upton one of the guys from CSMC Philly had come down and made sure that everything went exactly the way India planned as fast as Tutu wanted it done. And he’s been the one to turn her on to a hat designer he knew up in Philly– Hillary Radcliffe. How she’s managed to miss Hillary all these years she has no idea but she has a very good idea of what hats Gamma has in her closet and that woman would be burning with envy once she got a look at this.

“Is that a declaration of war I see?” Cassius asks wryly. He is shrugging into his suit jacket and grimaces as he straightens his tie. Cassius never wears a tie not in the club, on stage, not even when he’d been on trial for manslaughter. But going to church with Gamma it has always been required. And she isn’t one who would go with a clip on. Gamma had taught him how to tie a tie: him, LeVon and G all.

“Like it?” Roxie looks in the mirror to look back at Cassius.

“You look... fine.” The way Cassius says fine says it all.

“That contractor from Philly hooked me up.”

“Isaac?!” Cassius brows go up. He hadn’t taken Isaac for one of those.

“I also received a CSMC Philly lesson while he was here... Jeff Brown.”

“Number one.”

“Marco and Isaac.”

“Lieutenants.”

“And then there is this college freshman whose part time job in the office-- Hillary Radcliffe.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Chandy’s little sister. She’s going to Wharton.” Cassius nods. “The Three in One CSMC-Philly uses for a hub actually belongs to Chandy’s family. They do this thing about buying buildings in college towns to pay for tuition and get the instate if possible. Chandy still owns a strip mall in Boston– five business on street level and four apartments over. And it’s not far from the T so it’s real convenient.”

“This girl, her little sister, has been designing hats since she was like eight. Has a website and everything. Why didn’t you tell me about this?!”

“Hon, it didn’t even hit my radar.” Cassius comes up behind her and putting his hands on her hips pulls her back toward him. He likes the way they look together in the mirror. They look like a middle class couple on their way to church not like a stripper and a thug. This is something he’d never dreamed he wanted and always had. “You think we should be doing that too? That real estate thing for Ali and Cy?”

“They are five and four! I think we can wait until they are in going to school all day instead of part time.” Roxie rolls her eyes.

“Those colleges are expensive. What if they want to go to Harvard or something?”

Roxie turns around. “I’ll put you back out on the road.” She gives him a quick smooch. She hasn’t put on her lipstick yet. “It’s okay, Cassius. I got a few things in the fire for them, saving for college. They start leaning toward a school then I’ll look at property.”

“Ali’s got to be in a CSMC town.” Cassius declares.

 

“No, she doesn’t.” Roxie counters. “My daughter will be able to go where ever she wants whenever she wants and fuck the fool who tries to mess with her. And I don’t care if she’s Daddy’s girl. You aren’t going to start that sexist bullshit. You remember what happened to Morgan his freshman year in college when he got hazed by that frat?”

It’s not like Cassius was there but he’d heard the stories. “Okay fine you’re right. They both have to be in CSMC towns. Or at least hooked up with Mona for the One Phone Call.”

“They already have Mona’s phone number as the alternate number on their backpacks.” Roxie agrees.


	4. Chapter 4

Lisa can’t help the yawn. It’s been a long weekend. Every weekend she works is a long one. Course it’s a good thing to keep her skills up and license current. Even if she doesn’t particularly love being a nurse, she’d paid good money for that degree and isn’t planning on wasting it. Morgan is a closet chauvinist. Never mind Robin Morgan is a doctor and worked the entire time he’d been growing up. Morgan would much prefer she be home with the kids and not have the whole nanny/ strangers raising their kids thing going on. But even if he sometimes came on like something out of the 1950s, she remembers growing up with Mom working most of the time especially after her dad had gone out for a pack of smokes and never come back. Anders had done a lot of babysitting when they’d been kids. And big brothers are a pain when all they have to be is big brothers... when they are also in charge is could be hazardous to little sister’s health. 

Never mind Morgan has more money than he could spend in three lifetimes; it’s his money and she has to be able to support herself and the kids if need be. Especially since while Morgan’s money comes from a lot of different sources but there are a couple that are dirty as hell– his uncle, Jason Morgan, managing the estate of Sonny Corinthos, Morgan’s father and a long dead gangster, and then there is Baby Ashton, Morgan’s older sister, who administers the other half of Sonny’s estate. Morgan wasn’t one to brag on his money or rub anyone’s face in it. Especially when he’d been doing his best to live on the income he earned as an attorney specializing in international law and trade. His original five year plan was to stick with the staid firm where he trained and then cut out on his own. 

She and Macon had escalated the timeline on that plan. She’d gotten pregnant, not on her own of course but with a lot of help from Morgan. Then Macon had come after her, and Morgan put himself between her and a guy bent on ancient payback. Going out on paternity leave had been the last straw for the firm who really hadn’t cared for the way the firm kept getting mentioned whenever Macon’s name hit the press. Getting rid of a hero while on paternity leave had cost the firm a pretty penny which Morgan had immediately turned around and invested into his own practice. 

There had been no non compete clause in the severance which just proved how very stupid they were. There had also not been anything about Morgan taking his clients with him. Just that he couldn’t solicit them. Hell all of Morgan’s international clients knew who’d been the brains of their deals. The firm had offered their respectable name and a health retainer. Morgan’s clients had jumped the first appointment where Morgan hadn’t been in the meeting. Morgan had Marie get office space for them a lot sooner than he planned. He’d planned to work from home for the first year. That had been ruled out within months of the split from the old firm. Javier hooking them up with Roxie had been good timing. Course having Morgan home from work after Leigh was born is one of the reasons why George is only a year younger.

“Is coffee really a good idea, honey?” Doreen asks as she walks into the kitchen.

“Nothing is going to keep me awake, Mom.” Lisa admits tiredly. “It was a busy night. Weekends always are in the ER. All those binge drinkers doing the stupid.” She takes a seat at the breakfast bar. “Thanks for coming down.”

“You know I love it.” Doreen dismisses. “I plan these weekends down here in Miami for the rest of the month.”

Lisa knows it’s true. The kids love having Grandma D coming down. She always took them to different places, and spoiled them rotten. The kids had gone into the office yesterday with Morgan which had put Doreen’s nose in a twitch. And Pete had shown up after and stayed for dinner and read the kids a bedtime story which had also had her muttering. It’s one of the reasons why she’d already planned on extending her trip an extra day and making a three day weekend of it. Course it means she’d also get to spend a day with Lisa which is nice too.

“Grandma D?”

“Yes, House?” One of the things that Doreen had to get used to was the computer interrupting conversations with information.

“You wanted to know when Bunny, a pair of scissors and the bathroom...”

“Oh hell.” Doreen makes a run for it. She’d already caught Leigh trying to cut her brother’s hair once during the weekend. It’s the reason why she let House walk her through the process of attaching sensors to every pair of scissors in the house while Morgan had the children at his office. That little imp is going to run her ragged. “Leigh Marie Odette Benson, you put those scissors down right now!!”

“Tattletale!” Leigh is looking at the ceiling as she yells at House. “I hate you!”

“Indoor voice please. I know where the banana pudding is.” House counters evenly.

“I hate banana pudding!” Leigh lies and sticks out her tongue toward the ceiling.

“I’ll remove it from the shopping list.” House says helpfully.

At that Leigh bursts into tears. And since she’s crying George starts crying too. And that is the scene that Doreen runs into. “What on earth?!”

“House says I can’t have any banana pudding and he’s taking it off the shopping list. He’s mean!!”

“I wan nana puddin’too!” George normally speaks clearly but enunciating around sobbing hiccups isn’t easy for anyone let alone a three year old.

Doreen rolls her eyes. She thought she’d been over the drama after Lisa got out of her teens but evidently Leigh is starting early. She runs a hand over George’s hair relieved to see that there haven’t been any alterations to the hair cut. She quickly slips the safety scissors into her pocket and then putting the lid down on the toilet has a seat to look her granddaughter in the eye. She pulls George up in her lap and cuddles him close to stop the crying. “House, did you tell Leigh she couldn’t have any banana pudding?”

“Of course not, Grandma D. Bunny indicated that she hated banana pudding so I offered to remove it from the grocery list.” House has the young girl in the data banks as both Bunny and Leigh but Leigh is listed as an alias and the recognition default is to Bunny.

“I’d say leave it on the list but with Bunny’s comment. Bunny’s Mommy and Daddy can decide if it stays on the list.”

“I will make a note of it.”

“Now is the time to tell him, Leigh, before he makes a note.” Doreen prompts.

“House?” Leigh says softly.

“Yes, Bunny?”

“George likes banana pudding.” Leigh tries to duck around what she’d said earlier while angry.

“That is very good to know. I’ll amend my note.” There really is no winning with the house computer. Here the house always wins.

Leigh looks at her grandmother not quite knowing what amend is.

“Amend means change. He’s going to change his note to say that you hate banana pudding but George likes it. Probably so your mother will only buy enough for George.”

“House?”

“Yes, Bunny?”

“I don’t really hate banana pudding.”

Down in the kitchen, Lisa monitors the whole conversation via House’s system and can’t help but snicker. Her poor mother. Leigh is going through a phase and has been for the last two years. Course it didn’t help that the kid is adorable and wrapped every man within eyesight around her little finger. Only House and George seem immune to her machinations.

“What’s going on?” Morgan reaches around Lisa and takes a sip of her coffee. It’s enough to fortify him for the next few steps so he can pour his own.

“House just busted Leigh trying to cut George’s hair and in a lie.”

“I guess George does need a haircut. I can take him after church, get mine done too.” Morgan offers.

Lisa rolls her eyes; there is nothing wrong with her baby’s hair. It’s just Morgan giving into Leigh the way he usually does. Thing is– George did do better getting his hair cut with Morgan than when she took him. With Morgan it’s just two guys getting their hair cut. George didn’t think anything of it being in the chair right next to his dad at the barbershop. To him it’s just an extension of watching his dad shave every morning before going to work. If she took him then he started getting wiggly and stressed out. “We’re having company over in the afternoon. Kiki and Javier are coming over after church. Roxie and Cassius and their kids too.” Roxie having an office right across from Morgan had made them tight. There is a lot of back and forth of legal and financial advice. Having children that are within a year of each of other too made for more than a few playdates. Including sleepovers if Roxie had to go to Atlanta and Cassius was out of town.

“Am I cooking?” Morgan asks.

“It’s Sunday.” Lisa answers as if the answer is self evident. “I am going to crash. I’ll be up by the time you get back from church, lunch and a haircut.”

Morgan calls out. “Doreen, are you going to church with me and the kids?”

“We’re almost ready.” Doreen calls down the stairs. She looks back at the children and shakes her head. “You kids don’t make a liar out of grandma. Your clothes are laid out on your beds. Go get dressed.” She claps her hands. “Hurry, hurry. Your Daddy is waiting.”

* * *

At Gamma Adams house there is a similar rush to get ready for church. The kids had a good breakfast and then dressed in their church clothes. Gamma had already put on Cy’s tie and has him wearing a vest over his button down shirt. The vest makes perfect sense. The wild pattern would never show any dirt or spilled beverages... not like the shirt. If there is a hope in hell of keep the boy presentable then he is going to have to keep that vest on. And Gamma knows timing is everything, not wanting anyone ready too soon and having to sit around waiting in their Sunday best. Doing Ali’s hair always made her nervous. Not because Ali isn’t a little angel but because it meant that her focus is on Ali and her hair and that means that Cy could be well... a boy.

“Daddy’s here!” Cy yells from the front room where he’d been watching the window to see the car pull into the drive. He jumps from the couch to the floor and races to the hallway. The front door is locked and the latch is up high out of his reach, intentionally so. Cy grabs a tall stool and pushes it over by the door. He climbs up on the stool and unlatches the child lock. Then climbing back down he pushes it out of the way and opens the door. “Daddy! Momma!” He goes racing out toward the driveway.

“Oh Lord.” Gamma declares as she follows him out. She’d heard the door opening and thought she was going to have a heart attack. “Cy, you stay on the porch now until your Daddy gets that car parked.” She grabs him by the collar to hold him still. As soon as the engine is turned off she lets loose of the collar. “Help your mama from the car. Mind your manners. It’s Sunday now.”

“Mama says he’s supposed to have manners every day.” Ali tells Gamma Adams.

Cy is back in a flash this time carrying a plastic bag that has Ali’s dress shoes in it. Ali takes the bag from him and plops down on the porch to switch from her sneakers to her sandals. Cassius comes around to the passenger side and gives Roxie a hand out of the car. Gamma’s brows goes up when she gets the full effect of the hat. She knows every hat maker in Miami and there is no way Roxie had gotten that hat here. How could she have snuck it onto the plane back from Atlanta without her seeing it. Heck how could she have gone to a milliner without her knowing?! “Is that new?”

Roxie smiles smugly. “Do you like it? I found it online.”

“Online, huh.” Gamma sniffs. She doesn’t do a lot online. She is firm believer in the phone not the computer. “Really.”

To keep the peace, Cassius is quick to add in. “Everyone ready? We’ve got time to get there and may be even get a seat up front.”

“Wonderful.” Roxie says with a grimace but she ushers the kids back to the car and into their car boosters. Gamma goes back into the house to get her hat and purse and then takes Cassius’ arm to be escorted to the car. Roxie had taken a seat in the back with the kids giving up the front passenger to the old woman. Cassius gives her a grateful look that promises to make it up to her. The trip to the church is actually on the mellow side for them. Probably because Gamma got the front seat. Cassius left the aisle seat at the church to Gamma and took the outside on the far side of Roxie. It allows the children to be between Gamma and Roxie to keep them in line. 

Everything is going well. The choir is rocking and the house is packed. This preacher is of the mind that debt is a modern slavery. Having been on the wrong side of a record deal that had screwed him before going with Courtland Street Talent-- Cassius is of like mind. So what the church members do is pick someone in the congregation who is drowning and throw them a lifeline. There is no payback involved just the opportunity to start with a clean slate. 

It’s a good idea but Roxie looks at it more cynically. Money is her business. She knows better than anyone that throwing money at a problem isn’t going to solve it. If you didn’t solve the problem then you’re just throwing money down a bottomless pit. If a person spends more than they earn, if they are more concerned about what the other guy has, if they are lazy and think the world owes them the sweet life.... Sure, people have hard times. Medical bills that weren’t covered by insurance. Accidents, something unexpected coming up. A one time issue that knocked them back, that’s a person who needed a hand. Others needed to start by cutting up their credit cards and eating a little more beans and rice and a little less steak. Which is why she gets more than a little ticked one the person picked is less about the praise be to God and more about evil, the temptations of the flesh and the devils’ music. Ticked goes to Done at the first person in the congregation who gives an “amen” and “testify”. Standing up, she slides by Cassius to the aisle on the outside of the pews if people have to move to get out of her way so be it. She’d bitten her tongue long enough and it’s not her nature. If she doesn’t get out of here she’s going to be doing a little testifying of her own and Gamma would never forgive her.

Gamma of course noticed when Roxie left and did a mental review of what had been said. With a nod, she gets to her feet. “Come on, children, we’re leaving.” Stringing her purse to the crook of her arm, Gamma takes Cy’s hand and marches up the center aisle from the front pew to the doors in back. Cassius keeps a hand on Ali’s shoulder as he follows the old woman up and out. He knows Gamma is making a statement, a declaration without saying a word. The others might have taken Roxie leaving as her being ill or something. The whole family leaving they’d know.

Brother Samuel, the preacher, winces as he watches the family leave. Sister Adams and the Jacksons’ are some of the biggest contributors to the church and to this debt elimination program. It’s too late now but he waves a hand toward the choir director who brings the choir in for a hymn.

As soon as they are free of the church, Gamma lets go of Cy’s hand and the little boy runs over to where his mother is sitting on a bench in the sunshine. He climbs up on the bench beside her and gives her a pat. “You okay, Mama?”

“Just need a time out, sweet boy.” Roxie gives him a kiss on the top of the head. She looks to where Cy had come from and sees Cassius, Ali and Gamma making their way to her.

“Mama is on a time out.” Cy announces when the others arrive.

“Your Mama has nothing to be on time out for.” Gamma declares. “In fact I don’t care if it’s ten am. I want some ice cream or maybe one of those icee things. Then we can sit outside and give thanks for this beautiful day the Lord has given us.” And then just to prove that Roxie that she has her support. “Roxie, why don’t you let me sit in back with the children. I don’t get to see them often enough as it is.”

“Are you sure, Gamma?” Roxie asks.

“Just so long as we’re not having the ices in the car. That kind of sticky is nearly impossible to get out.” As soon as everyone is buckled into the car, Gamma leans forward. “You have any Motown, Cassius? Now that is what my grandparents called the devil’s music back in my day.”

“Gamma? You had GRANDPARENTS?” Ali announces in disbelief.

* * *

“And then Ali says... Gamma? You had Grandparents?! I thought I was going to die.” Roxie announces to Lisa and Kiki. The three of them are kicking around Morgan’s pool. Doreen is by the smaller kiddy pool but because the older woman is outnumbered four to one none of the women are taking their eyes off the kids.

Kiki shakes her head in disbelief. “Don’t Cassius and Gamma both give big money to that church?”

“Cassius, Gamma. LeVon and G too. Course G only goes to church on Christmas, Easter or when he thinks he’s gotten some girl knocked up.”

“How much of this is you being pissed about who received the money than about the preach it sister afterward.” Lisa says knowingly.

“Yeah, it’s both. She was one of those The Lord Will Provide people. Wringing her hands and oh my oh my, my life is so hard...ohhh did you see what was on QVC? I should be thanking the Lord above that she was given the money because I’m going to be the first to say I told you so next year when she’s in the same damn boat. Good Lord provided her with a brain, shame about the atrophy.”

Lisa laughs. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh I know you didn’t have a good morning.”

“Oh all in all it wasn’t that bad. I mean come on Gamma offered to take the back seat after getting up in the middle of a service and walking out when I did? Freaking miracle. And she wanted to be driven straight home after ice cream because she is looking forward to all the phone calls she is about to get. Maybe if the comments had been left at temptations of the flesh she’d have left it alone or thrown in an Amen of her own but the Devil’s music? That’s a straight shot at Cassius and LeVon.”

“And Gamma too considering she owns a piece of the club.” Kiki agrees. “Oh yeah, there are going to be some ears burning when she gets done with them. I almost feel sorry for the preacher cause you know he’s going to get it the worst.”

“Your church doesn’t do anything like that?” Roxie asks Kiki.

“The Catholic church? Please, they’ll take money from anyone. I think they prefer taking it from devil music and flesh peddling... at least that way something good is coming out of it. If they are going to go after someone in the congregation it’s going to be in the confessional and then the pressure is on. Want absolution, stop what you’re doing and get right.”

From across the patio, Pete brings the steaks out to Morgan who is manning the grill with close supervision from Cassius and Javier. As he hands the platter to Morgan. “Does it make of you guys nervous to see those three with their heads together?”

Javier looks to where Pete is referring and sees his sister with Roxie and Lisa. “Actually no.” For him, Roxie and Lisa had finished what Dr Cam started up in Port Charles and gave him his confident unstoppable sister back. “Especially if they are talking about someone who isn’t here.”

* * *

“Sister Adams, May I come in?” Brother Samuel says through the screen door to the woman who’d opened the front door knowing he’s on the other side but had made no move to open the screen door. It’s a sign of how ticked she is and Brother Samuel knows it. Letting him stand on the porch like some kind of door to door siding salesman.

Gamma pushes open the screen door and steps out of the way. “I’ll get you an ice tea.” She starts back to the kitchen and she knows that the preacher is right behind her.

“I hope that Sister Roxanne is feeling better.” Brother Samuel throws a soft inquiry to get the lay of the land.

“Oh much better. Hypocrisy always gives her acid reflux. Comes from biting her tongue. Did you want lemon?”

Brother Samuel winces. This is not going to be a fun one. “Please.”


	5. Chapter 5

Junior had done a dry run to the practice field over the weekend. It had been the first place he and Mariah had gone after he purchased a car at a local dealership. Roxie had given him the guy’s card and a made a phone call ahead to make sure that Junior would be taken care of and not be spending hours on end in some office while a parade of employees and customers checked him out. It always takes forever to find a car that will fit him and he’d rather spend the time on the lot than in the office. For as long as he could remember it’s been a challenge to find a car that fit. It isn’t just the leg room it’s the space between the gas and brake pedals. With 23EEEs he’d hit the gas and brake at the same time more than once. And with the size of his entire family... spending his teenage years in a backseat had been adventures in sardine city. 

Mariah’s legs aren’t much shorter than his considering that she’s eight inches shorter. So shopping with her really is testing the boundaries of the vehicle. Especially if the salesman tried to have her sit in the backseat and take shot gun himself. The first car they hadn’t even gotten the door shut before Mariah called done. She’d already guessed how it would be when Juniors’ parents were visiting... Jesse and Junior up front because they need the most space and then her and Gia in the back. Nope. 

It’s a process of elimination and there are plenty of factors that kicked something right out of the running– leg room’s just the start, then it’s headroom which knocked out most sun and moon roofs, big center consoles which impede his right leg. Windshields that slope for aerodynamics cut down on head room and safety. His line of sight is the top six inches of the windshield, the bottom six inches is basically a waste. Side view mirrors which are designed for someone who is a foot and a half shorter than he is. The list goes on.

And then when you find the car that finally fits and might work... Just like his shoes, it is in the most butt ugly color created and gas mileage that serious sucked. Luckily he’d done a little bit of research up in Port Charles. His truck up there did fit him, but it fit him because Alice Gordon had made some modifications. The salesman in Florida had been happy to see him when he walked onto the lot thinking about the free advertising and PR but the reality had soon set in. There just aren’t a lot of cars built to fit a guy of Junior’s size. After about the tenth car, Junior is seriously regretting giving up his truck to Mariah and Melia. He’d known it was going to be hard but he didn’t realize it would be this hard. In the end it isn’t a Cadillac, Jag, Porsche, Mercedes or Audi; it’s a Volkswagen Tiguen clean diesel. It’s not going to set any land speed records but it would haul a boat if needed. It is white which might be pretty tropical but it’s also boring. Mariah had reminded him that the car would not be factory standard for long so not to worry about color or stereo. He could pick a real color later. 

After doing the dry run then they’d gotten dressed up and gone out to a local club– a place called LeVantage. It was another place that Roxie and Kiki had recommended. Especially since Kiki worked there on the weekends. Always nice to have an in. Mariah had worn the red dress she’d picked up out shopping with mom and Tutu. It had been a really good night. And it’s a good thing since he isn’t going to see her again for another month now. It would be phone and email until he heads back up to Port Charles for graduation at the end of May. It was going to be weird. When he got back to the house after this appointment it would be just him and Tutu at the house.   
The guy at the gate had recognized him and didn’t give him a ration about going to the team headquarters. Instead he’d taken his time and made sure that Junior knew exactly where he was going and where he could park so that he wouldn’t make any rookie mistakes. Of course that is what the guy said. If he was actually punking him then he’d push over the guard box on the way out. “Hello, My name is Junior...”

“Kahanalua. Yeah, I know. Welcome to the Dolphins. The coach’s assistant left me an email that you’d be coming in today. They don’t want you having to go over things twice so there is a lot of stuff that is going to be left to the rookie mini camp. This is all about the press and being the number one pick, not about being a rookie.” The gal on the other side of the desk is reaching for a packet of information that had been left with her. She is also pushing a button to get relief up front so that she could walk the guy back to the Director of PR. “Do you have an agent yet? You said after the draft that you didn’t.”

“Yeah, I guess so. JAM. Jackson Asset Management. Roxie Jackson and Kiki Ortiz. They aren’t like real agents... at least that’s what they say. But they are licensed in Florida.”

“If they aren’t really agents what are they?”

“Accountants.”

The gal gives Junior a look. “Do they know anything about professional sports?”

“They rep Steve Johnson of The Heat too. Then I think it’s a lot of musicians because Roxie is married to Cassius Jackson...”

“Of the Michaelsons... oh man I love them. I had no idea. Wow.”

“Roxie and my mom go back a ways.” Junior admits. “She trained at my mom’s office up in Port Charles.”

“Here we are. Again welcome to the Dolphins.” The woman raps on a door that is ajar because the person inside had been expecting Junior. “Junior, this is Patricia McGuire, director of public relations.”

“Junior, it’s good to meet you.” Patricia puts a hand out hoping for the best. She’s had all kinds of handshakes since starting with the Dolphins and it really is the best way of gauging the man.

Junior takes her hand dwarfing it in his but the hand shake itself is firm without pressure.

She can feel the ridges of callouses on his hand and after the hand shake turns his hand over so she can see his palm.

“You read palms?”

Patricia laughs. “No, not really. But these callouses are fresh and not from lifting a weight bar.”

“Pick ax. My dad and I are building an imu.”

Patricia blinks but she’s spent holidays in Hawaii and a pro bowl or two. “Underground oven right like for luaus and things?”

Junior grins. “Yeah. Got a good start on it this weekend. We’ll be ready for a luau by the time first home game. Heck long before because we’re going to have to have a practice run first.”

“We being you and your grandmother?”

Junior nods. “You’re invited. If you have kids bring them. We have a blast.”

“You don’t even know me.” Patricia shakes her head in disbelief.

“Best way to get to know people.” Junior counters. “Good food. Good music and I’ll tell ya a secret. Football players can’t resist a bet. You think I won’t get one of them up on the patio doing a hula with my grandmother?”

Patricia starts a hooting laugh at that, startling a staffer walking by. Patricia McGuire doesn’t have a reputation for cracking up at work. She brings it under control and points to a chair for Junior to have a seat. “Thanks, I needed that image running through my head. Okay back to business. Did I overhear you tell Greta that you do have an agent now?”

“I found out this weekend that my money manager is licensed in Florida as an athlete agent. And I’m not Roxie’s first Athlete. She and her partner do the agent thing for Steve Johnson of the Heat too.”

“Roxie Jackson?”

“Yeah, JAM.”

“I’m actually familiar with her. My title is Public relations for the Miami Dolphins and I’ve already found that players that sign with Mona Dupree...”

“One phone call.” Junior nods.

“You’re already with them?”

“Have been since I was sixteen. Mom signed me up with Ms Dupree instead of AAA when I started driving.”

“Have you signed one of her contracts?” Patricia hints.

Junior gets what the older woman is hinting around. “Dumb ass clause. Day I turned 18.”

“She really has one. Really. A dumb ass clause.” Patricia leans forward in disbelief. “I heard rumors of course but none of the guys will show it to me.”

“Yes, Ma’am. And she uses it.”

“You have no idea how much easier my life would be.” Patricia mutters. “I don’t think we have another person on the team with Roxie Jackson as an agent but there are a couple on the team who use One Phone Call and also use JAM for asset management because Mona recommended them. So let me put it out there for you... Imu. The phrase number one draft pick and pick ax in the same thought is enough to bring me out in hives. Love the idea of a luau. Please hire someone to dig the imu.”

“It’s not my first imu.” Junior shakes his head.

“Figured. But all it would take is you... whacking off a toe and you’ll be missing that opening game... or not running at 100 percent. Same thing about motorcycles, skydiving, rock climbing, surfing, snake handling, gun toting...”

Junior feels like there are probably stories behind each of the activities she is mentioning. “You know the bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house...”

“Believe me, I know.” Ms McGuire nods.

“Don’t worry about the Imu. Dad and I finished digging it already. Just need to line it with volcanic rock. Tutu is going to have some delivered today. I don’t ride motorcycles looks too much like a clown car. I got a thing for heights so no skydiving, rock climbing, bungee jumping, horseback riding or even climbing trees. No snakes, I’m more of a cat person— da small house kine. If I’m going to be on the water it’s going to be on a boat not a board.” Junior holds up his right hand. “And I swear, no guns ever. Don’t have anything particular against them, my uncle is a cop. They’re just... rude.”

“Rude. Really.”

“Yeah.” Junior says simply.

“Well. Okay.” Patricia nods at that. “I wish more people had that attitude. Lets get down to it.” She pulls out a folder. “This meeting is about the press and I’d like to keep it about you being the number one pick rather than about you being a rookie. There is going to be enough rookie stories when minicamp is going on. This is about the only time we’ll get the press for the Number one pick and actually here’s hoping we won’t get it again anytime soon.”

Junior nods his agreement as he scans the material. He knows that the only way to get a number one pick is to have the lousiest record the year before so it’s a blessing and a curse. “Who else did the Dolphins pick up so I can make sure that they get mentioned... build some interest toward minicamp and to hopefully prime things to get contracts settled quickly.”

Pat’s eyebrows go up at that. This guy is 22 and talking like a suit. She isn’t in on the player selection at least not much... only when the backgrounds come back with something that is going to need a PR spin. “Wow. You’re good at this. I mean I saw some tape of you at Jock’s Table so I know you were comfortable on camera... but wow.”

“My girlfriend runs Jock’s Table up at Port Charles U, has for the last three years, and is a journalism major. Her dad is a broadcaster. I’ve been the guinea pig in a lot of practice interviews.”

“I may be using that at Rookie Camp, calling on you to roll play.”

“No problem. I don’t like distractions from the team. My idea of drama is the three hours on the field on Saturday.”

“Sunday.”

“Right. Sunday.” Junior grins. When he grins it’s easy to see how young he really is.

Pat decides then. “Come on. Let me show you around the building. I built in some time before the first interview to coach you but I think I can do that and give you the lay of the land at the same time. We can hit the talking points.” She gets up from behind the desk. Junior rises to his feet as well. Junior makes sure that he gets to the door first and holds it for Ms McGuire. Her brows go up at that too but other than a quick thanks doesn’t make anything of it. She hangs a right and starts walking. She gives him the names of the other six players they’d picked up in the draft. “You can’t mention anything about their contracts but it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if said something about looking forward to getting to know them at training camp.”

“Got it. Look why don’t you ask me the questions you think they are going to ask and I’ll answer and we can work it from there. You go offense and I’ll be defense... it’s what I’m good at.”

Football players are just guys. Some are good, some bad, some in between; some are arrogant, some shy. All of them are good at football or they wouldn’t be playing at this level. It isn’t enough to be big and strong you also had to be smart. Which made some of the bone head things players did just drive her nuts. What is the old saying... water seeks its own level? It’s kind of like that. There is a culture shock when players hit the NFL... up until now they’d always been the best, the best back in peewee, the best in high school, the best in college. Maybe they’d been able to skip on the rest of their lives because they’d had a future already lined out for them. Hitting the NFL... well here there would be guys who were better, faster, bigger smarter. It’s a wake up call some guys don’t deal with well. Junior had an advantage over those guys. She’d read his background she knows that expectations for Junior had always been high and not just on the field. He’d said that his uncle was a cop. His Uncle is a Police Commissioner. He might say his mother is a lawyer but she is a nationally renowned lawyer. His father isn’t just a former NFL player, he’s had been a Pro Bowl caliber player. Could Junior end up being the best pass rusher that ever played the game? The coach thought so. But right now she’s getting the feeling that he’s a guy who can hit the ground running. And he’d been right. He is good at defense. “I think you’re ready.”

“You’re going to be in the room right? I mean if there is a question I can’t answer, I’d just as soon be able to deflect it to you.”

* * *

Across town, Roxie is hard at work at the office. Things had eased some at JAM after April 15th but they are a year round firm not a tax prep place and she believes in planning for taxes all along. It’s a pretty small office really because she likes to keep hands on of everything that comes out of JAM. There are never going to be any partners in this business. It’s all hers and the people who work for her, work for her. 

One of the guys is a retired FBI agent, he basically worked on an as needed basis. He’s retired. He likes going fishing and hanging at the beach watching the bronzed hard bodies. Course with Roxie running the place and Kiki as her right hand there is pretty view in the office too. Dale has a wicked twisted brain when it comes to forensic accounting. If a client came in from a stance of they’d been screwed over by their last asset manager then Dale is the first one to get hands on the records. There would be a complete and total audit of the client at the start and if Dale said there was enough to get the cops in on, then the case is already made and Dale could walk anyone through where the issues were. Like what Alecia had done for the Michaelsons getting them away from their first label, having Dale on the team brought a lot of business to JAM because people who’d been screwed over always brag on who saved their asses. 

The other part timer is Giacomo Smit, Jack, is the guy who would be called in when a client came up with something they wanted to invest in that needed to be done right now with snooze or lose high pressure type tactics. Jack is the one who would take the investment and anyone involved with it apart online and then show up to the meeting with the client with everything they didn’t want to know about The Sure Thing they were so interested in. Jack and Dale don’t get along too well. Dale believes that Jack is a hacker who does an online version of burglary to get the information he wants. Jack believes that Dale is a crusty bean counter with a suspicious mind. They are both right.

There are four women who handle the mail. That’s an interesting job. JAM handles the mail for all of the artists that the Michaelsons handle through their studio, for Steve Johnson of the Heat heck even for Jack and Dale who for some reason didn’t like the idea of having their home address out there. They are very good at the sort-- making sure that anything that doesn’t look right is left for Dale to look over. He might be former FBI rather than ATF but he could pick out a suspicious package. If the letters that some of the groups receive give the gals a hinky feeling then they are running it to Giacomo who’d do his online magic to find out if the sender is on their meds, or should be. Giac had admitted to one of the gals that he’d worked in mail rooms before and knew it was the front line against the crazies. It’s the first business day after Junior Kahanalua signing with JAM and there is already mail coming in for the guy-- offers for local endorsements, national as well. The guy hasn’t even put his cleat on the turf!

The business mail for Junior is set aside for Kiki. She also handles the business mail for Steve Johnson. The meeting on Saturday had covered what kind of endorsements Junior is interested in right now. Really what endorsements Gia was interested in for her son right now. So Kiki is on the lookout for a shoe deal, be nice to get his picture on a box of wheaties but don’t know if that is going to happen and then Gia thought that something local would be good to make the community invested in her son because her son was invested with them. Gia had used the example of Eli’s up in Port Charles. Jesse and the crew at Eli’s went back all the way to Jesse’s rookie year. Pitch for what you believe in and Jesse believes in good barbeque. Roxie and Kiki believe in ten percent and JAM is going to be getting ten percent of Junior’s earnings so it is in their best interest to make sure that Junior makes good money for a good long time.

JAM and Morgan Benson share a receptionist and a common lobby on the third floor of the building. Maria, Morgan’s assistant would cover while the receptionist went to lunch and one of the mail gals would cover for breaks to keep things fair. It’s Brother Samuel’s luck that it is one of the mail room gals who is covering the reception when he arrives without an appointment to see Roxie. There are very few secrets in a firm that is mostly women. They’d all heard about what happened on Sunday. Since a lot of their works comes from artists who play someone’s version of devil music and she reads the mail that comes from those nutjobs she isn’t exactly welcoming when she finds out who is standing in front of Reception. She smiles anyway even if it is more of a baring of teeth. “Let me see if she is available.” Clicking on Roxie’s extension, the fill in receptionist doesn’t take her eyes off the preacher who feels like he’s been treated like he’s under a microscope. “Brother Samuel is here to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment. I’ll let him know.” The woman disconnects the call and tells the preacher, “She’ll be right out.”

“Thank you.” Brother Samuel smiles but it fades when the smile isn’t returned. He is almost relieved when Roxie comes out into the lobby. “Sister Roxanne, thank you for seeing me.”

“Of course, Brother Samuel. Come on back to my office.”

“I thought that perhaps we should talk about what happened on Sunday.”

“If you want to. I’m fine with what happened on Sunday.” Roxie takes a seat behind her desk.

Brother Samuel takes a seat in one of the client chairs. He is good at reading people. He wouldn’t be in this business if he wasn’t. “And am I going to see you this Sunday?”

“Nope.”

“What happened was unfortunate and in the spur of the moment...”

 

“You mean it was honest. Not thought out-- but what the person truly felt.” Roxie counters. She straightens some papers on her desk before looking back at the preacher. She can feel her jaw tightening. “That me and my husband are evil and doing the devil’s work through our music studio. That Gamma and LeVon are disciples of the devil by having a club here in Miami where people go to dance and have fun. I bet that they think I’m a money lender and this is my temple. And they are going to bring those walls down.”

“Roxie, your relationship to The Lord...”

“…Is not dependent on me being in one of your pews.” Roxie interrupts to complete the preacher’s sentence. “…And biting my tongue to the hypocrisy of paying off a woman’s debt without showing her how to stay out of it in the future. Of telling that congregation that some of those songs you are singing so proudly on Sunday were considered devil music when they were first written. 

It might not be in the Good Book but I was taught that the Lord helps them that help themselves. And that is what I, Cassius, LeVon and yes, Gamma too have done all of our lives. You see that degree on the wall, the one that says MBA from Port Charles University?! I may have gotten that degree by shaking my ass but I’m not shaking it anymore and that degree is paid for. This office? This Building-- paid for by my husband’s hard work day in and day out away from his family for months on end to make sure we had a future, that our children had a future that didn’t involve shaking their ass or prison! And if you think I am going to sit around and listen to small minded, ignorant people judge me, my lifestyle or my family– I do not think so.”

There may not have been a finger snap or a head jerk at the end of the tirade but Brother Samuel knows they are implied. “The debt elimination program is a good one. The predatory practices that the creditors use... it is a modern slavery.”

“Oh and I agree. Cassius agrees. Courtland Street was his second contract. He’s signed a contract before that was akin to signing his life away. It’s the reason why we were giving generously to the program. But we wouldn’t want any of those fine people to be hypocrites now would we?! They surely wouldn’t want to buy their freedom with my husband’s devil music or the reinvested profits from shaking my ass.”

“Roxanne, I do not believe that your husband makes devil music and I know you are a good woman loyal to her husband and a strong advocate for your children and your friends. Please let go of what happened on Sunday and let us work together to make the situation right.”

Roxie knows if she doesn’t make up with Brother Samuel that Gamma is going to make her life a living hell. “What did you have in mind.”

“I want you more involved in the debt elimination program not less. I want you picking the people who benefit from it.”

“Excuse me?!” Roxie can’t believe that she heard him right.

Brother Samuel points to the framed degree on the wall. “You are the expert, the professional. Help me, help my congregation. I’ll send the files over to you as soon as I get back to the church.” Brother Samuel gets to his feet and with a nod leaves Roxie’s office and strides out.

She leans back in her chair. “Oh Lord, what did I just get into?”

Kiki comes in to Roxie’s office. “Who was that guy?”

“That was Brother Samuel. I basically told him it would be a cold day in hell before I stepped foot in that church again... and he handed off the debt elimination program to me.”

Kiki leans in the door way. “Really. Guess he just challenged you to put your money where your mouth is... literally.”


	6. Chapter 6

The house is big, maybe too big. But maybe that’s ‘cause he’s new in town. His house in Port Charles had seemed too big too until he started having the line over to watch tape or study group for school. It’s just a new town a new place. Didn’t help having Mariah up in Port Charles. Phone and internet is just well--phone and internet. It’s not keeping him cozy at night. He’d already cleared it with Tutu who’d given him a shrug and told him it was his house. He opens the door of the Humane Society. “Hi, am I in the right place to adopt a cat? Actually I think I want two if you’ve got a couple of buddies who can’t be split up.”

“Aren’t you...the football player?”

“I’m Junior Kahanalua and yeah, I play football. Am I The football player... nah, don’t think so.” Junior grins.

The girl behind the counter holds up the sports page of the paper. One of the press that Junior had met the day before had been from the Miami Dade Herald. “This football player.”

Junior nods. “I just moved to Miami. I’ve bought a house.” Junior had been to the website so he knows all the things he has to bring to prove that he is going to be sticking around to be a good person for a pet. He brings out a folder of information that has all his documentation. “I’m looking for a couple who are kinda on the frisky side but who like to cuddle. Would sit on my lap or shoulder while I’m watching tape.”

“Have you had cats before?”

“Not while I was at college but at my parents’ house my sister had a cat. So I know I’m not allergic or anything like that.”

“The article says that your grandmother is staying with you?”

“She’s not allergic either. And she’s got her own apartment on the property. It would be my cat, cats.”

“Indoor or outdoor?”

“Indoor.” Junior is emphatic. “My place isn’t on a canal or anything but you got things around here that would eat a cat. I’d kinda like the orange kind but I think that the personality is more important.”

“Well okay. Let me take you to our cattery.”

* * *

True to his word Brother Samuel had the files delivered on Monday and Roxie had started going through them that very night. The next day she called Brother Samuel and told him that she needed releases of information from all of the people so that she could start digging around... legally. Those had been messengered over within hours or at least enough to get started. It wasn’t like she didn’t already have plenty to do with clients that are paying her good money to take care of them and make sure that their dreams for the future are safe. As soon as she gets the releases she runs credit checks on all of the people and starts adding that to the file verifying that against what they’d revealed as far as their debts were concerned. From the looks of it there are a few who don’t know how deeply they are truly screwed.

Giacomo Smit comes into her office. “What are you working on?”

“It’s not JAM business, Giac, it’s church business. They do that debt elimination thing and these are the candidates. I opened my big mouth and Brother Samuel dropped the whole thing on me. I told him that throwing money at someone without addressing the problem is just a set up.”

“Really.” Giac pulls up a chair and grabs a file and starts glancing through it. “Huh. I bet that the church has just been paying off the whole thing rather than negotiating it away.”

“Probably.” Roxie agrees. “I don’t know.”

“You mind if I take a look at a few of these?”

“It’s not JAM business. I’m not going to be paying you for it.” Roxie makes her position clear.

Giac shrugs. “Guess that means I can quit when I get bored.” He grabs some files and goes back to his office. 

“Thank goodness he was bored.” Roxie mutters. She starts working the file like she would if the person was a client. There is income and there is out go, and this person has more going out than coming in. Got to figure out where the leak is and plug it.

* * *

“Hello, My name is Leilani Kahanalua and I just moved into the neighborhood.” Leilani shakes hand with the principal of the middle school that is about two blocks from Junior’s house.

“I’m very pleased to meet you. Will you have children coming to the school, Mrs Kah.. Kah....

“Kahanalua and no, sir.” Tutu nods emphatically. “I live with my grandson. He is going to be playing football for the Dolphins. My son? He assistant coaches high school back up in Port Charles, New York and does some weight training work with the Stallions... the NFL team?”

The Principal’s eyes are getting wider the more Tutu explains as he realizes exactly who Tutu is talking about. “Junior lives in this neighborhood?”

“Really nice neighborhood. But I wanted to make sure that it was okay if Junior came and ran on your track if he didn’t want to go all the way over to the Miami practice field?”

“Of course. No problem! It would be an honor.” The principal says quickly. “I’m sure the children wouldn’t mind at all sharing their practice field.”

“Junior doesn’t have any kids and he better not for at least a couple more years. His girlfriend is going to be playing professional soccer in Europe. I think she’s going to play at least until the next World Cup and then I don’t know if she’s going to settle down and make a home with Junior but you didn’t ask about that. But what I’m saying is just because Junior doesn’t have any kids in this school yet doesn’t mean that this isn’t his school in his neighborhood now. And the same goes for me. I’m new in town and my calendar is on the free side so if you need anyone help out– field trips, listening to kids read dat kine ting, you can just give me a call. And since I think you’d be an idiot if you just let any old woman walk in off the street and make herself at home, here.”

“What’s this?”

“My references.” Tutu points to the first one. “That’s my business partner in a dance studio up in Port Charles. And the others are the principals of my granddaughter’s middle school and the high school, oh and the football coach at the high school. He still remembers me too.”

“Mrs Kah.. Kan..”

“Call me Mrs K.”

“Why does the football coach remember you?” 

“Well with my son playing professional football, and now Junior playing in the NFL too, I’ve spent a lot of time on the sidelines of footballs fields. And I think that I may have annoyed the coach on occasion. Every year I’d read the rule book and learn it. That way I would know if Junior was messing up. Those coaches didn’t know the rules as well as I did.” Tutu brags then sighs. “It’s been a few years though since I had to know all the rules for the NFL, not since Jesse retired. Going to have to brush up on that.”

* * *

Giac Smit pulls up to a modest home in a modest neighborhood. He looks around and tries to figure out exactly what it is about this woman that has messed up her finances. There were a lot of people who put in to Roxie’s church for some assistance but this one is weird. Every summer it seemed to get worse and between the summer and then holidays the hole just kept getting deeper every year. Getting out of his car he walks up the drive and then knocks on the door. The door is slowly opened after he’d been checked out through the peep hole.

“Can I help you?”

“I hope so.” Giac says back with a nod. “You don’t know me. My name is Giacomo Smit. I work with Roxie Jackson who goes to your church?”

“Sister Roxie yes.” The older woman nods and relaxes a little bit.

“Well your preacher gave Roxie the applications for the debt reductions and I’m confused because on paper you’re doing everything absolutely right, Mrs Green. You’re not throwing wild parties or buying a new car every year, but somehow every summer you get in a hole and the last couple of years you haven’t been able to pull yourself back out of it.”

“Come in, young man, Jack is it?” Mrs Green opens the screen door.

And as soon as Giac steps in the door he knows exactly what is going on. There is a fan going in every room and the heat is still oppressive inside the small house and it’s not even May yet. “Your electric bill is killing you isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir. And I did try those equal payment plan things but you always have to settle up and that would go on my card.”

“And if the church gave you the money to catch up the electric bill you’re going to be in the same spot next year because this house is still going to be... cooking.” Giac nods. “Huh.” Then his eyes narrow. “Mrs Green, what you really need is a new roof.”

“Excuse me?”

Giac nods. “Yep, you need a new roof made out of solar tiles. I’m no expert but it’s looking like you get plenty of sun up there. If you had a solar tile roof then they could be running your fans or even better running back to the power company so they end up owing you money at the end of the year.”

“Whoever heard of such a thing!” Mrs Green exclaims.

“It would be sweet though, wouldn’t it? ‘Cause lets face it. You hate the electric company.”

“I do. I surely do. I thought for sure I was going to have to take out a mortgage to pay my bills.”

“It may be forward of me, ma’am but you’re not old enough for one those reverse mortgages. I know may be technically you are... but you’re really not. I’d have to work the numbers to find out how soon a new roof would pay for itself but I’m thinking that it would be helping you out straight away.” 

“And how am I going to afford a roof, Jack, when I can’t afford my light bill?”

“I don’t suppose you have internet?”

Mrs Greene nods. “I use it for my phone.”

Giac sits down at the kitchen table and pulls out his netbook. He’d loaded up all of the information he received from Roxie and everything he pulled from all over and it’s all on the netbook. The book starts looking for a signal as soon as he opens it up.

“Do you want an ice tea?”

“Love one.” Giac mutters as he is already starting to dig through all the information he needs. Finally he picks up a phone and calls the office. “Hey put me through to Roxie. Roxie, it’s Giac. There any roofers and maybe an electrician in that church of yours?”

“Why?”

“Because what Mrs Green really needs to stay out of the hole is a new roof. I can get the tiles at a good price and I think I can work where she can afford the tile but I need installers. Skilled installers.”

“I have no idea. I’ll call Gamma.” Roxie hangs up.

Giac leans back in the chair. He takes a grateful gulp of the ice tea. He turns the netbook around so that the older woman can see the website that he is looking at.

“And this would really work. This says it will drop my power bill seventy percent the first month.”

“I think it would. And I’d really like your okay to move on this. I’d like to get this done before the hottest part of the summer that way you could be selling back to the power company rather than being hostage to them.”

“Giac, how am I supposed to afford this?” Mrs Green asks again. “If I could afford a new roof I wouldn’t be putting my name in the hat.” 

“You’re going to get all kind of rebates and tax credits for doing it. I’m sure that Rox will probably volunteer to do your taxes this year. But if you want to just handle it then yeah, it’s going to be home improvement loan using your equity to get the upfront handled. And I don’t like suggesting it. And I wouldn’t suggest it if I thought you were going to go on a cruise or something... unless of course you’re taking me with you.” Giac grins and then gets serious again. “I’d advise waiting until we hear back from Roxie. If you’ve got folks at the church who could do the install and save you the labor costs there that would make a huge difference if you just had to worry about the materials and providing ice tea.” Giac takes another sip. “I know you’ve been thinking about this one for a while. So why don’t you show me around and show me where the other power suckers are.”

* * *

Doreen is going to have to be leaving at about 6:30 to head back to Tarpon Springs. She’d be getting back late but leaving any earlier would just have her stuck in traffic anyway and leaving early enough to miss the traffic meant missing time with Lisa and the kids. “So are you going to go back to school when the children do?” Right now they are sitting on a park bench near a play structure keeping an eye on the kids playing and catching up. Both of the kids had finished their half day in school and were ready to be cut loose before heading back to the house.

Lisa grimaces. “I do think about that, about what I’m going to do when they are in school all day. I could go back to work at the hospital. Morgan would probably love that especially if I wasn’t working weekends. Did he mention me going back to school?”

Doreen breaks eye contact which is pretty much confirmation that he had. “Well Morgan knows that you love books a heck of a lot more than nursing. And if you were to go back to school to get your masters in library sciences...”

“The nearest school that offers a masters in Library science is 200 miles away.” Lisa says flatly.

Doreen winces at that. “There have to be some programs online or something that could at least get you started. And if they were online you could set your own schedule. Maybe you should be volunteering at the local library. I know you like books but maybe you won’t like working at the library. Honey, you do have a low boredom threshold.”

“Mom, I’m never bored around books.”

“That is true.” Doreen agrees. It had always been so. Her girl had never been one for a new Barbie. Had always wanted a new book. Which had been a blessing because there were always books at Goodwill or at garage sales when Lisa’d worked her way through the juvenile section of the library. And Lisa is doing the same thing for Leigh and George. Morgan had figured out that Lisa is the easiest person in the world to buy for. All he had to do was get her another bookcase. Leigh and George had a bookcase as part of their baby furniture it had been a crib, changing table, dresser and bookcase.   
Both the children knew that if they wanted a book read to them all they had to do was to bring it and ask. On the rare occasions when their parents are in the middle of something that couldn’t be stopped then the children would climb up on the pool table (shoes off) and lay down on the felt making sure that the book could be seen by the overhead camera and have House read to them. House managed their reading lists and when Lisa went Amazon shopping she could always tell when House had been in the children’s wish list and added to it. House listened in whenever the children came back from an excursion and would note anything that had struck the childrens’ interest.

With Lisa pushing the books and Morgan pushing the soccer and outdoor activities, Doreen had found her niche in buying the family a zoo membership every year. The membership named Lisa and Morgan as the family and the children but she’d put herself on as a named guest. She knows that Morgan could have bought the membership without a blink or wince but he left it to her. Doreen bought the zoo membership every Christmas and considering that the daily admission for children over three is twelve dollars and for adults it’s $16, third visit to the zoo and the pass had paid for itself. The kids normally had three visits in before Valentine’s day. Lisa’s friend Roxie bought a pass for her family too so that all the children could go to the zoo together and see the animals and play in their water park. They hadn’t gotten to go to the zoo this time mostly because Morgan had taken the children to the office with him on Saturday.

“What are you thinking, Mom?” Lisa asks suspiciously.

“Oh just that we didn’t get to go to the zoo this weekend. And if you don’t want to go to school to get your masters... maybe you should open your own bookstore a nice used one.”

“Right. Amazon is kicking ass on Barnes and Noble and Borders both. How is that going to work?”

“Amazon sells used books too. If you can’t beat them, join them.” With that Doreen gets to her feet. “Leigh, you sit down right on that slide!”

* * *

Tutu is later getting back to the house than Junior is. The principal had showed her all around the school putting a lot of emphasis on the practice field and the gym. She knows that according to the website that there is suppose to be a 24 hour waiting period before picking up the adopted animal. It is supposed to be the time to do a back ground check and to give a cooling off period in case this was an impulsive decision. If she knows her grandson, he will find away around it. “Junior?!”

“Up here, Tutu.” Junior calls from upstairs.

She goes up the stairs. The second floor is basically Junior’s private area. This is the master bedroom suite with the custom bath and a second bedroom that probably would be turned more into a study or office with it’s own bath too. Or maybe not. Maybe the second bedroom is going to be the cats’ room. Looking in the spare room, she can see Junior sitting on the floor with two gangly adolescent orange cats climbing him like a tree. “Two. You said you were getting one.”

“They were from the same litter and are used to each other. They are both fixed, couldn’t have adopted them if they weren’t. Had them both chipped but they are going to be indoor cats.” Junior explains. “I started them in the bathroom... put their box in there and then graduated them to this room. I think they like it.”

“Well of course they do. And if I catch them on the kitchen counters they are going to learn how to fly.”

“I bought a clicker and a spray bottle too.” Junior counters. He gets up from the floor. One of the cats is on his shoulder and he is carrying the other one. “They both have claws so going to have to get a tree for them to scratch and climb.”

“Well of course they have claws.” Tutu says as if it is the most natural thing in the world which it is. 

“There were a few that didn’t.” Junior tells her.

Tutu shakes her head. “Well thank goodness they ended up at the Humane society rather than set loose to die.... defenseless.” She reaches up and takes the cat off of Junior’s shoulder and cuddles it in close to her. “Well don’t you have a motor on you? In honor of Junior bringing you home, I picked up a whole fish for dinner. Wouldn’t surprise me if there are a few left overs. Oh and Junior, two cats you’re going to need more than one spray bottle. They already have you outnumbered. You’re going to need one for every room. And you’re going to need to take them to a vet tomorrow to make sure that they are fine.”

“They had a check up at the humane society.”

“The humane society going to do their check up next year? You need to get a vet. Might as well get it done now before camp starts and you’re busy with football.”

* * *

“I love having Cassius home.” Roxie says right after Lisa and answers the door. “He’s in charge of the kids today.” She comes in carrying a shopping bag. There is an unfamiliar woman who hesitates before crossing the threshold. “Come in, come in. This is Lisa; the woman I told you about. She’s a RN.”

“Okay so you told her about me, how about you tell me what the hell is going on?” Lisa demands. She’d had five minutes notice since Roxie had called from some woman’s house and said she was on her way over. “And who you are?”

Roxie keeps walking right back to the kitchen and then upends the shopping bag on the dining room table. Out comes dozens of pill bottles. “Mrs Truman’s spending more money on medicines than she is on food. I have no idea how anyone could keep any of these straight and sorry, if you’re on this many how can you not be taking this one for that ailment and another to fix something that the first medication caused!” 

“Oh for heaven’s sake don’t dump them there.” Lisa comes up and starts stuffing the bottles back in the bag. Once she has them all contained she goes over to the pool table. “Roxie, why don’t you make us some tea or something this is going to take us awhile. House, start me a spread sheet. I’ll call out the medication, the directions, the doctor, the pharmacy and the date issued. I’m going to need columns for where it’s metabolized, side effects and interactions.”

“Of course, Lisa.”

“Who was that?” The woman asks suspiciously.

“Her house computer.” Roxie hands the woman an ice tea. “I got them all I think, Lisa. Vitamins, herbals, minerals, if it was in a bottle I grabbed it.”

“Did she even ask before she emptied your medicine cabinet?” Lisa asks.

“Medicine cabinet, kitchen window, top of the fridge. How in the hell does anyone get this many bottles?” Roxie demands.

“By going to doctors who think they aren’t doing their job if they aren’t giving you something.” Lisa retorts. Lisa starts listing the medications and already suspects at least one problem. There are three different blood pressure medications. Did anyone ever tell the woman to discontinue the previous two or is she taking all three? As she comes across medications that are expired she sets them aside to be disposed of. When she comes across brand names where there is a generic available she sets them aside too. When she comes to the herbals she starts wincing. Herbals are great except for the whole not tested by the FDA so there is no quality control and then there whole interaction thing with the other medications. She’s beginning to wonder why this woman isn’t dead. “Okay first things first... go through these and tell me if there is anything here that you are still taking.”

The woman goes through and pulls out a few. “These.”

“Well that’s too bad because they are expired. I don’t care how expensive this stuff is; you can’t take expired medication. They don’t tell you how bad it is, how toxic it can be because they assume you’re getting rid of it when it hits the expiration date. See this? Number one cause of liver failure in the United States.”

“Lisa, that’s just tylenol.” Roxie says dismissively.

“Yeah, and if you don’t take it as directed it will kill you. And even if you’re taking it as directed but you’re taking it with say this or this...” Lisa pulls out a couple of bottles from the line up on the pool table. “... then you’ve just gone over the daily safe dose because these both have acetometaphine in them– tylenol. And you may have built up a pain tolerance to the medication but your liver doesn’t. It’s a tank and when it’s full it starts breaking down. And because you’re supposed to throw things out when they are too old they don’t even say that the liver damage happens even faster with OLD acetometophine. It may cost you more but you’re better having a small bottle of just like 24 or something than getting a big bottle of this.” Lisa trashes the expired medications that Mrs Harris isn’t taking and the big half full bottle of acetometaphine as well. “You’ve got five different doctors here. Who is your primary?” At Mrs Harris’s answer, Lisa calls off the name and phone number of that doctor to be added to the spread sheet. “You have three different pharmacies– pick one. If you only have one pharmacy then they would have already taken care of some of this.”

“Well some were samples that my doctor gave me. I didn’t pay for all of them.” Mrs Truman says defensively.

“What you paid for them may be what got Roxie interested but I’d say right now that both of us are more concerned that all these medicines are killing you.” Lisa shakes her head. “I am not kidding and I am not exaggerating. House, would you have Morgan come down here?”

“He’s putting George to bed and will be down in a couple of minutes.” House replies.

“Who is Morgan?”

“My husband, he’s a lawyer. He practices international law but if it’s okay with you I’d like to go see your doctor tomorrow with a list of your medications and sometimes the quickest way to get an appointment with a doctor is to get a lawyer involved.” Lisa says wryly. “And your doctor wouldn’t know that he’s an international lawyer.”

Mrs Truman laughs at that. She has a feeling it’s very true.

“House said we had company.” Morgan announces as he comes into the family room. And he’s very glad that House had made that clear or he might have embarrassed himself and Lisa both.

“I need a cut the bull letter for a doctor. This is Mrs Truman; she goes to Roxie’s church. I want to go in find out what Mrs Truman needs to be on, what she should be on and what can be discontinued.”

Morgan takes a look at the pool table with the multitude of bottles and both eye brows go up. “Okay. No problem. House, take a letter will you? Actually it will be two– a letter and a release of information.” Morgan takes the bottle Lisa hands him. “Show it on the screen so I can see if I leave anything out.” Morgan goes over to the vid screen that House normally uses to show pool shot angles. It takes him less than ten minutes to dictate the letter and release. House prints them out and Morgan brings them over to the pool table. He signs the lawyerly letter and then has Mrs Truman sign the release. “If this doesn’t work, I’ll refer you to a lawyer who eats doctors for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” He gives Lisa a kiss on the temple.

“Thanks, Morgan.” Lisa gives him a one arm squeeze.

“Yeah, thanks, Morgan.” Roxie gives him a nod and a grateful look.

“I don’t know what I should do now.” Ms Truman admits. “Should I take my medication tonight, tomorrow? I’ve already got them in my pill sorter.”

Lisa nods. “Oh yes. Except the stuff that is expired, definitely. And even if the doc decides to pull you off some. Some of these medications are the kind that you have to step down. If you tried to just quit them your body would have a horrible reaction. I am going to see your doctor tomorrow and when I get out of there we will have a plan of action and that’s going to include moving all your scripts to one pharmacy. Since you have the pills for tonight and tomorrow I want to take the shopping bag to your doctor. After I talk to your doctor you should be able to give Roxie an accurate picture as far as your medicine costs.”

* * *

NOTES:

http://www.fifteenthstreetbooks.com/  
http://www.miamisci.org/  
http://www.miamimetrozoo.com/index.asp  
http://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/


	7. Chapter 7

Luckily the children’s preschool starts early. They’d been little angels for once probably figuring out that there is something important going on today. There had been no drama about missing sneakers or back packs and everyone was buckled in to their car seats in the back of the PT Cruiser. Lisa had the Cruiser before hooking up with Morgan and planned on hanging on to it until the wheels fell off. The original cruiser was a remake of an earlier look and after Chrysler had gone out of business the second time their lines had been bought out by the other car companies and the Cruiser had been revived her last year in nursing school. Seven years later she is still driving it. Morgan had offered to buy her a car more than once but why? The Cruiser still ran and until the kids managed to not spill everything all over she’d just as soon have a car that she didn’t owe any money on.

Getting the kids settled into the classroom she gives them both smooches and lets them know she’ll be back by lunch to pick them up. From there she heads straight to the doctor’s office. She’s worked in enough doctor’s offices to know that the sooner she got there the better. Later in the day the doctor would already be behind.

“Hi, do you have an appointment.”

“No, sorry but I do hope to get into see the doctor. This is regarding Mrs Truman. And while I don’t have an appointment I do have a note from her lawyer if that will help.”

“Excuse me.” The nurse behind the counter’s brows go up at that.

“Mrs Truman has a bit of a problem.” Lisa picks up the shopping bag and puts it on the counter. “It’s called five different doctors and three different pharmacies and I’d really like some help getting this straightened out before it kills her. I’ll wait. I want this fixed today.”

“Are you a relative of Mrs Truman?”

“No, but she has signed a release.”

“Why don’t you give me a sec.” The staffer gets up and goes into the backroom.

The next person in the reception area. “Hi, my name is Jen and I’m the doctor’s PA. Can I help?”

“You’ll do for a start.” Lisa brings the bag and the spread sheet that House had finished the night before. “The receptionist give you the highlight?”

“Five doctors and three pharmacies?”

“Yep. And expired meds that she was still taking.”

“Fuck.” The Physician’s Assistant mutters under her breath then winces. “Sorry.”

“Oh don’t think I wasn’t thinking the same thing when this got dropped in my lap last night.”

“How did you get involved?”

“Mrs Truman is having a tough time affording her medication and has put in for help from her church. The person who is doing the evaluations is my best friend. Roxie took one look at the bottles in the medicine cabinet on the kitchen window and on top of the fridge, grabbed them all and brought them to my house.”

“Why you?”

“I’m a RN.” In the exam room, Lisa dumps the shopping back of pill bottles on the counter reaching out a hand to keep them from rolling off the side. She starts sorting them by prescribing doctor. She hands the file that she had House build the night before. She’d had House cut and paste information from the Physician’s Drug Reference into the spread sheet and then after having a chance to review had put the medications that seemed to have interactions in bright red.

The PA has called up her record of what Mrs Truman is on and can see the glaring omissions. Mrs Harris had admitted the side effects as symptoms but never said she was on a new medication. “Oh man.”

“And according to Roxie she is spending more money on medicine than on food. After seeing this I believe it. And because the budget was tight she was taking medication that was expired including acetometaphine.” 

The PA closes her eyes in disbelief. “I need to get the doctor in here.”

“Yeah, you do. There is no way you want your name on this bottom of this one. Even if the doctor gives us the okay to start cleaning this up, he’s the one who is going to have to sign off on it.”

“We’re going to need labs too.” The PA shakes her head. “I can’t believe this.”

“I’ll give her a lift to the lab when I go back to her house with a plan. There is definitely some things we can get going even before the labs are done.”

“Gimme a sec.” The PA leaves the exam room and shuts the door behind her.

Lisa knows it could be anywhere from a sec to fifteen minutes before anyone would be coming back to the exam room and starts reading again the spreadsheet that House had created for her.

It’s about ten minutes. “Hello, I’m Dr Sanchez.” The doctor doesn’t even look at Lisa at first but instead his eyes go directly to the counter filled with medications, vitamins and herbals. Only after the quick scan does he meet Lisa’s eyes.

“Lisa Benson.” 

“Jen says you’re a nurse.”

Lisa nods. “Mrs Truman’s friend Roxie is a friend of mine. I think I’m the only medical professional Rox’s knows so it all got dumped in my lap last night.”

“And Mrs Truman has already consulted an attorney.”

Lisa shrugs. “My husband. Sorry about that but I didn’t want to make an appointment and the last thing that Mrs Truman needs is an ER and another person giving her something without knowing what she’s already on.” She hands the doctor the file. Between the highlights and the bright red it’s easy to spot the immediate problem areas.

Using the spread sheet and his own file of Mrs Truman’s medical conditions the doctor starts to make a cohesive plan of what his patient needs to be on. Then looking at the list of medications circles the ones that can be eliminated right now and which need to start a step down.

Lisa says just as an aside. “Mrs Truman is having trouble with expenses so if you have a choice between brand and an available generic....”

“Right.” Dr Sanchez’s pen doesn’t stop going through the spread sheet. By the time he is done there are only a dozen medications on the list and that is including the vitamins and four of the medications have been targeted for step down. There are different directions for taking the remaining medications. “Mrs Truman will have to go in for labs today. I’m calling in the order and I’ll want to see her next week. Make an appointment on your way out.”

“Yes, Doctor.” There is more than a hint of wry irony in Lisa’s tone.

Even Dr Sanchez notices. He shakes his head. “Your friend made a good catch on this.”

“I’ll have the front desk gal make a copy of the spread sheet for your records.” Lisa nods. “And have her put a big old sticky of where to fax future scripts. I think I’ve got Mrs Truman on board with the idea of one pharmacy. Should cut down the possibility of a problem in the future.”

“Are you comfortable laying out Mrs Truman’s medicine regime to her?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“You come across another one of my patient’s doing this don’t bother with the attorney, just come in.”

“The attorney is no bother. I don’t have to pay him-- just sleep with him and have his babies.” Lisa quips. She goes up to the counter and using the doctor’s revised plan starts gathering the medication Mrs Truman is still going to be on.

* * *

LeVantage is closed on Mondays so Gamma made special arrangements to make sure that she has coverage before going to see Ida Green on Tuesday. She’d gotten the weirdest call the night before from Roxie asking if there were roofers and an electrician who went to the church. And since it’s so weird she had to check it out for herself. Pulling into the driveway she sees Ida sitting out on the front porch in a glider reading a book and with a tall glass next to her.

When Ida recognizes who has come to call she puts the bookmark in her book and rises to her feet. “Hello Sister Adams.”

“Sister Green, I had the strangest message from Roxie yesterday.”

“No stranger than the visit from that man from her office.”

Gamma takes a seat on the glider. “What happened?”

Ida sits back down too. “Did you know Brother Samuel handed off the debt reduction to Roxie?”

“I did not.” Gamma exclaims. “When?!”

“I do think it was only yesterday but that Roxie is not one to have the grass growing underfoot. I received a phone call from Brother Samuel asking for a release so that my information could be verified so that a clean slate could be truly clean. After I signed it and Brother Samuel faxed it to Roxie’s business well then it was just a few hours later there was a man on my porch saying that he was confused by my financials and he didn’t understand why I was having such troubles. Course he knew the minute he walked into the house.”

“Knew what?” Gamma asks.

“It’s fifteen degrees warmer in there than out here which is lovely in January. Now, not so much and my light bill proves it. So this man from Roxie’s office says I need a new roof.”

Gamma blinks at that. “Not central air or a fan or a swamp cooler or something. How is a new roof going to help keep your house cool?”

“It’s going to be a solar powered roof that is going to run my fans and on the hottest days, Jack thinks I’ll be able to sell power back to the electric company and those... jerks, can be paying me instead of me paying them!”

“I never would have thought of such a thing!” Gamma exclaims.

“Me either but you know it makes sense. I mean if the church had helped me this year with my light bill, my house would still have been too hot next year. A new roof. Who knew?”

* * *

Because of his family and his speciality, Morgan Benson knows that he is pretty much always under FBI surveillance. He can deal with it. He’s been dealing with living in the fish bowl all his life. With Aunt Georgie’s system in place, he didn’t really have to worry about being spied on at home anymore. House ran regular checks of all systems. After what happened with Macon, the FBI level had been upped. Evidently the FBI felt him taking the law into his own hands to protect his family proved the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. He’d been surprised the first time House told him about the bug inside his house. 

House had vid of the plant and ran it as soon as he got home from seeing Lisa and Leigh at the hospital. Lisa hadn’t cared what the security was at the hospital– Leigh wasn’t leaving her room. Wasn’t leaving her sight. Knowing that the FBI had been in his house bugging the place when his daughter was barely a day old had been offensive but he’d decided then that he did not have time for this bull and had House send the vid to Aunt Georgie. 

Georgie, if possible, was more ticked than he was and had done a facial recognition on the guy and ID’d him as working in the Miami office of the FBI. She’d shown up on the next available flight and because her priorities are righteous had gone straight from the airport to the FBI field office. Course from there she’d gone to SJ house and the fit hit the shan on the Jacques front. He had really hoped that Georgie would be back but that she would be staying with Morgan and Lisa right across the Canal from him not in the competition’s condo across town.

Georgie wasn’t one to be really put her foot down or to go all hardass on anyone but just because it wasn’t her nature didn’t mean she couldn’t do it. Just that she had to be really, really ticked. She’d told Morgan just to be there for his family and that she would take care of the distraction. Oh boy and had she. It had fallen on a day when SJ had the day off so he’d gone with her, driven her to the FBI. She’d managed to get into the guy’s boss’ office before making the scene. 

SJ still told stories about it. She’d walked in and demanded a copy of the warrant or the badge and she wasn’t leaving without one or the other. And she hadn’t gone with the Don’t you know who I am line. And went straight to the You have no idea who I am and who I know line. And then proceeded to introduce herself. Georgie had left with the guy who’d planted the bug’s badge and an apology. Someone who could invoke the pentagon, the FAA and the World Security Bureau with three phone calls is not someone to be trifled with and SJ had been right there standing with his arms crossed, totally having her back and finishing with a Yeah, what she said. Then she’d come to the hospital with a huge plush stuffed bunny that is still Leigh’s fav, a bouquet of mylar balloons and everything tied up in a pink ribbon.

Course Georgie going medieval on them, and then him quashing the warrant with prejudice later didn’t stop the FBI. Just stopped them coming into his house or into his office. And he didn’t trust that either and had the place swept regularly for bugs. And the irony is that he doesn’t do criminal law. He has nothing to do with Uncle Jason’s business or Baby’s either. He’d traveled to the tip of the country to get away from Port Charles and those ties. There is enough legit international business that he doesn’t need to dabble in anything that might scream of RICCO. The only thing he does that might scream of mob ties is that he still plays handball twice a week with Javier and has the guy over for BBQ on occasion. Sonny has been dead for over ten years and Morgan is still paying for the sins of the father.

But today he’d spend the morning down at the port of Miami making sure that everything went smoothly for one of his new clients through customs. When he arrived back to the office, he gets tense with one look from Maria.

Maria interrupts who ever she is talking to with a quick hit of Spanish. “One moment, senor, Senor Benson is here now.” And then she puts the caller on hold.

“What’s up?”

“It’s the Union boss from Puerto Cabello. He says they are not getting paid again. Morgan, he’s talking about going out on strike. Even if you have private guys to do the offloading down in Venezuela how are they going to get through all the other containers that aren’t being unloaded?!”

“Okay give me a sec.” Morgan moves quickly to his office and sets aside his briefcase. He gives a not to Maria who puts the call through. Morgan cuts straight to the chase in Spanish. “Estavio, how bad is it?” Morgan starts taking notes. 

Sometimes all someone wants is to be heard. This is not one of those situations. These guys had not gotten paid in four months. They have rent to pay, and mouths to feed. There was no use in working if they could not take care of their families. And they are not going to abandon their post so that someone else can take the job with the faithless promise of being paid because then they’d never get the money due them and someone else would get screwed!

“Estavio, stop!” Morgan finally interrupts. “I hear what you are saying and I need to bring this up to my clients. I need exact numbers. How many people are affected what is their pay scale, what is the current payroll. I need to know how many ships are due in, in the next week and if you can get it-- their names. And the numbers have to be accurate... not inflated. Do not screw me on this. They have done this to you before and goodness knows they will try it in the future. If we’re going to do some kind of end around to make sure your people get paid from the duties that the ships are paying then we need to know exactly how much because we are going to have to defend ourselves against the government later. I am not going to prison so that you can get paid.”

“I hear you.” The Union boss says in reply.

“Believe me.” Morgan retorts. “I’m going to give you back to Maria. Get her all that information. I need to let my clients know.” Then Morgan starts moving down the list of clients he has that do business in South America, which is most of them and most of them use Venezuela as their port of preference. Morgan had an in there because he owns property in Venezuela it made him more familiar with the turf battles going on.   
He did a year in Peru too back in college but his ties are closer to Venezuela which is what is ticking him off about this whole situation. Brazil already has most of the ports in South America on the Atlantic side. Doing any kinds of dealings with Colombia would bring the feds down even harder on his ass. And this thing with Venezuela seems to happen every year. Things were supposed to get better with Chavez gone and yet the guy who’d taken over while not talking poorly about the US had the same habit of lining his pockets with the working man’s wage. What South America really needs is a container port in Guyana or Suriname neither of which have the natural geography for a big port. By the time all of his clients are informed that this is a problem in progress and he would keep them updated as more information because available it is already after 1pm. He’s already missed lunch with Lisa and the kids.

Maria comes into the office as soon as he is off the phone and before he can make the next call. “I called Lisa and let her know what is going on. She says she hopes you can settle this here rather than having to go down to Venezuela.”

“Me too. Because if I do what I think I have to do. I’m probably going to end up being a wanted man in Venezuela.” Morgan says wryly. “The consulate is already closed.”

“Nice hours if you can get them 9 to 1. Boy. Wish I had those hours.”

“And if we did then you wouldn’t have your football tickets on the 20 yard line.” Morgan reminds.

“Es verdad.” Maria agrees ruefully. “You want me to get Javier on the phone?”

“Yeah, do it.” This is something that Morgan doesn’t like to resort to. But he reassures himself that he isn’t using the CSMC connection to order a hit on anyone and it might just be a little illegal but he had the feeling that Javier would know exactly where the Venezuelan Councillor General for Miami is right now.

Maria gives him a nod when Javier is on the phone.

“Javier, I just a call from my contact down in Puerto Cabello. They are about two days from going out on strike.”

“Not getting paid?” Why isn’t Javier surprised?

“Not getting paid.” Morgan agrees.

“You know this is the reason why Baby likes Costa Rica, the climate is beautiful and they keep the freight moving.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that is still on the Pacific side rather than the Atlantic. Still going to have to do the canal. Why can’t there be a port on the Pacific side that is not controlled by Brazil that can handle freight?!”

“Wish in one hand, my friend. Wish in one hand.”

“Venezuela is ideally located but nobody is going to put up with this crap for long. Goods sitting in containers is lost money!”

“What do you need from me?”

“I need to know where the consuler general is or where he is going to be within the next couple of hours.”

“So he can tell you what you want to hear?” Javier says pessimistically. “Not even the ambassador in Washington is going to make a difference here. This is very far over how do you say... our paygrades? The corruption is at the executive level. If it was at the port level you might have a shot at fixing this.”

“As long as it is not directly at the presidential level, I might have a shot. If I can give him someone to save face.”

“He’ll be at a jai alai match.” Javier gives the particulars.

“You know there is a reason why I don’t have Miami Nice cleaning my office.”

“Ah they’d never read up on your clients, Morgan.” But they would report back to Baby your every move.

* * *

For a young lawyer, and Morgan is a young lawyer, he has made a splash in the Miami scene. Those that had worked with him at his old firm knew that he had skills and he had brought business to the firm. But things had exploded when he went out on his own. There hadn’t been a slow month since he left, maybe a slow day but not a slow month. 

Morgan had already built a reputation as a facilitator. He knows all the players at the table in Miami: customs, port, shipping companies. He can help some getting things to Miami but basically from the time that product reached US international waters he was guiding the companies through the rough water of getting their product to the US shores and to the marketplace. Because of his familiarity with Venezuela, and owning property there, that country’s international entrepreneurs make up a healthy percentage of his business. But there is also a more than healthy percentage of US companies that want to do business down in Venezuela and he facilitates that as well bringing business from other US ports to the Port of Miami where he can be hands on.

 

Lisa didn’t do the bosses’ wife thing particularly. She isn’t into tennis, golf or spa trips. She didn’t care who was going under the knife to have this tightened or that rejuvenated and she really didn’t care who was banging the help. She’d only been in Miami for five years, had only worked full time for the first couple of months before getting thrown into the deep end of family life. She isn’t on the charity circuit but she knows that there are times when she’s got to dress up and do the wife thing for Morgan’s business. She’d picked her charities and stuck with them. Morgan was actually more likely to bring people home for a weekend barbeque and time around the pool than to meet up at restaurants dressed to the nines.

Because of the strong business connections though, Morgan had a standing invitation to most of the functions put on by the Venezuelan consulate and business interests. Which means that when he arrives at the consulers box at the Jai Alai match he is recognized and waved through.

“I thought soccer was your game, My friend.” The consulate’s top man keeps his eye on the action. Jai Alai is a fast game and if you took your eyes off you could miss a lot.

“It is.” Morgan watches. He hadn’t seen a Jai Alai match until moving to Miami and it was still kind of a mystery to him. It’s a sort of racquet ball game played with a different kind of racquet, more of a scoop, and going up to 170 miles per hour.

When there is a break the older man leans back in his chair and cuts to the chase knowing that Morgan will appreciate the candor. “What is going on?”

“My sources at Puerto Cabello indicate that the workers haven’t been paid in four months and are very close to going out on strike. If they do this could cost my clients millions of dollars per day. You know I prefer to use Puerto Cabello, my Spanish is much better than my Portuguese. This is getting tiresome, Eduardo. You know if the workers aren’t getting paid then they are more likely to steal from the cargos... they have to eat and keep a roof over their heads. And perishables? They’ll be compost on the docks waiting for a ship. This is going to screw all the work you’ve done pushing the trade agenda.”

“How sure are your sources.”

“I’m here.”

The match starts back up again and Eduardo keeps an eye on the action but Morgan knows that he’s using the interruption to consider what he is going to say. Eduardo knows that Morgan’s first loyalty is to his clients but he has been a friend to Venezuela for many years now. Morgan could have pushed his clients to Brazil or to Colombia but he’d stuck with Venezuela, vacationed with his family in their hacienda in the mountains. The young man had even brought him chocolate made at his very own plantation. Something he explained had been very difficult because his wife, Lisa, normally found and confiscated all chocolate as a wife tax. “Your sources say anything about Maracaibo?”

Morgan shrugs. “I haven’t heard back yet. One of my sources said that the problem is at the executive level but I haven’t received verification yet. It would be nice if it was business as usual there. That would isolate the problem to the Port itself. If there is a problem at Maracaibo then it’s bumped up past a level where I have any kind of influence.”

Eduardo nods. He is pretty much in the same boat. He is almost 1400 miles from his country and the politics there. On some things though he’d found that he is closer to the ground than if he’d been in Caracas. “I know a few people. But I have to find out about Maracaibo first.”

“Even if Maracaibo is clear you’re adding huge expense getting the freight from there down to Caracas.” Morgan shakes his head. “You know if this only happened every five or ten years but, Eduardo...”

“I know. Remove one bad egg and realize that he’s taught his tricks to the one that replaces him. See if you can buy us some time. Just until we hear back from the other port.”

“I’ll try but I can’t in good conscience recommend Puerto Cabello and Caracas right now to my clients.” Morgan gives Eduardo one of his cards. “Call me with whatever you find out. And if it’s a name of someone that is screwing both of our hard work... I am not opposed to that either.”

Eduardo nods. He knows that Morgan is connected even if he never uses those connections. Morgan actually has a deft hand with politics and could make sure that the problem is removed quickly and very close to legally if they can narrow the problem down to one.

* * *

* * *

NOTES.

1\. The Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination, called the Series 63 exam, is designed to qualify candidates as securities agents. If you want to offer investment advice to clients, then you need a Series 63 license. Learn more about the Series 63 at this site. http://www.finra.org/Industry/Education/index.htm. The continuing education for becoming a broker of securities is held at wharton. 

2\. Designed for the high-potential executive, the FINRA Institute at Wharton program delivers a comprehensive and rigorous course of instruction on the foundation, theory and practical application of securities laws and regulation. The program draws on the expertise of Wharton faculty, senior regulators and industry practitioners and brings together a diverse group of participants from securities firms, the legal profession, SEC, FINRA and other regulators to provide a unique learning experience for participants.

3\. If you want to work in the securities industry and sell securities, then you have to take the Series 7 examination, known as the General Securities Representative Examination. FINRA administers the Series 7 examination. Learn more about it 1. here.   
http://www.nasaa.org/industry___regulatory_resources/exams/474.cfm

4\. Those hoping to become financial planners should complete a Certificate in Financial Planning. A client seeking out an advisor wants to see a qualification demonstrating technical expertise. The CFP is the best recognized. Learn more about how to become a CFP professional 1. here.   
http://www.cfp.net/

CFP Board collaborated with the 1. Academy of Financial Services to develop a Model Curriculum for personal financial planning. The Model Curriculum was first released in 2004 and was subsequently revised to match CFP Board's 89 topic list. An overview of the Model Curriculum, course syllabi and detailed outlines are available below for download and review.  
Model Curriculum Overview and Summary   
Model Curriculum Personal Financial Planning Course   
Model Curriculum Investment Planning Course   
Model Curriculum Insurance Planning Course   
Model Curriculum Income Tax Planning Course   
Model Curriculum Retirement Planning Course   
Model Curriculum Estate Planning Course   
Model Curriculum Capstone Course


	8. Chapter 8

Working on the church business on Monday had put her behind on her regular clients. Roxie is up to her ears in regular client maintenance. She didn’t micro-manage her clients and tries to get them to do the same with their portfolios. If you picked good investments and came at things with a plan then you shouldn’t have to sit on your nest egg like a broody hen. Course you also shouldn’t abandon the nest all together, especially if you’ve got some really nice eggs in there.

“How come Giac is going out on field trips and I’m not?” Dale asks from the doorway.

“Excuse me?” Roxie shakes her head and asks blankly. She is in the middle of someone’s financials and the question seems out of the blue.

“He was going out in the field working on a project. Why wasn’t I offered that?” Dale pouts.

And it’s really pitiful to see a grown man, a retired FBI agent, pouting because one of his coworkers received a perceived benefit that he hadn’t. “Oh for crying out loud! Can’t anyone see I’m trying to run a business here?!” Roxie throws up her hands and tosses her pencil on the desk. “Giac wasn’t doing company business. He volunteered to look into some of the church stuff that was dropped in my lap. And I don’t care if I am going to hell I’m not working on that stuff more than one day a month! I have a business to run and clients that pay me for my advice! And I have employees who have nothing better to do than to find out what someone else is doing rather than their own work!”

“Giac volunteered?! Right. For church business and hell has frozen over.” Dale snorts. His eyes narrow. “He’s working a scam. Why else would he volunteer? There is something in it for him.” Dale makes a money motion rubbing his fingers together.

Roxie sighs and rubs her eyes. If they both weren’t so good she would have gotten rid of them years ago. “Probably or he could have been doing it because he was bored. He took about five of the files. Four of them he had done in an hour. One of them had him muttering so he went out to see the woman. It was puzzle, Dale, a story problem and he was checking it out. He volunteered. I told him up front he isn’t getting paid. It’s not company work.”

“I would have volunteered.” Dale asserts.

“Really, to review files on people who have dug themselves a hole and are expecting someone else to throw them a ladder.” Roxie’s brows go up in disbelief. “Really.”

“Sure. Give a man a fish...”

“Please don’t go there. It’s true. But I really want to get back to what I’m getting paid to do.”

“You have any of those files... strictly volunteer and if I get a work project I’ll just set them aside.” Dale offers.

Roxie sighs and reaching into her bottom drawer pulls out five files. “Here. And Dale?”

“Yeah?”

“Close the door.”

* * *

Gamma had called Giac and told him to come down to LeVantage. Giac is familiar with the club after all Kiki works there on weekends and his boss is partners in the club although with LeVantage, Roxie is a mostly silent partner leaving the day to day to Gamma and LeVon... although LeVon is mostly silent too.

Gamma settles him in a booth and waits as the staff sets him up with a menu and silverware. As soon as his order is in she declares impatiently. “You want Ida Green to get a new roof. Something with solar power to it.”

Gaic nods. “Probably have to put some more insulation in the ceiling space too. But yeah, I think that would be the best way to go. Mrs Green knew what the problem was but figured her house was paid for and that was at least one expense she didn’t have. Rox called you to get some recommendations?”

Gamma slides into the booth. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the name of an electrician and a roofer. “I called them and told them the situation. They said they’d supervise but they couldn’t have their crews on it if they weren’t getting paid. So I put together another list.” She hands it over.

“Who is this?”

“Children at the church who need a j.o.b. If they are getting some experience with this fancy roof maybe they can work it into a trade. You know how much electricians normally make an hour?” Of course anyone under forty is a child to Gamma.

“I try to not think about it.”

“These roofs really work?”

“The technology is getting better all the time. It isn’t ugly fields of panels now. And I didn’t mention it to Mrs Green but the more I think about it... could be handy in a hurricane too. As long as the roof stayed on the house, when the storm passed it would be generating electricity and recharging batteries.”

And that just cements things for Gamma. “Well I’ve been thinking of getting my roof done too. You tell them that when you’re putting together that crew. And I’ll be paying for mine but I want it done after Ida’s and as long as they are using the children who need a J.O.B. As soon as you can line things up to have Ida’s roof done, you let me know because LeVantage will be provide the lunch.”

* * *

Ms Truman had a growing audience at the senior center something she never really minded and if anything she exaggerates a little. “How many of you have more than one doctor?” She looks around the room but isn’t surprised when nobody raises their hand even as she sees the nods. “My heart doctor, my rheumatologist, my family doctor, the orthopedist... five of them total including one I saw at the emergency room when I was having trouble catching my breath. And all of them giving me medicine. And I had the local pharmacy and then I had the pharmacies that were closest to the doctor’s offices. And this woman from my church was over visiting took one look at my kitchen window and about came unglued... she took all my medicine– vitamins, supplements and over the counters too and swept it all into a shopping bag and took me over to see this nurse friend of hers. Sixty thousand dollars. That’s what she saved my insurance company and me? Over six hundred dollars a month. Medication I didn’t need and that was in fact fighting against each other. That’s $600 that isn’t going on my credit card every month. It’s only been two days and I’m already feeling better but honestly that may be because easing off the weight of all those drugs and what they were costing me.” Ms Truman gives a nod and goes off to get a refill of her tea. She isn’t particularly surprised to have more than a few people come up to her and asking for the nurse’s name and phone number. “Well I don’t know her phone number but her name is Lisa Benson and even better her husband is a lawyer that’s how she got into see my doctor so fast she had a letter from her husband. Roxie Jackson would have her phone number. Roxie is one of her best friends.” And then Mrs Truman proceeds to throw Roxie under the bus and gives out her work and cell phone numbers.

* * *

“Oh you have to be freaking kidding me.” Roxie mutters. The receptionist is standing at her door and knocking timidly. Roxie sighs and straightening waves her in. “What?”

“There is something going on. I have ten messages here all in about the course of the last half hour and all of them are for you but about half of them want Lisa’s contact info.”

“Ms Truman.” Roxie knows pretty much exactly what happened. But she isn’t about to screw Lisa over the same way Mrs Truman had her. “Gimme a sec.” She calls the Benson house. She isn’t particularly surprised to hear the machine but knows it’s a totally different machine so she doesn’t bother leaving a message. “Hi House, it’s Roxie. Is Lisa there?”

The original message stops as the house computer interrupts. “Lisa is picking up Bunny and George from school. She should be home in twenty minutes. Did you want to leave a message, Roxie?”

“You think Lisa is on her cell?”

“Let me check.” House replies.

There is a pause. “Rox, what’s up?” Lisa sounds like she is in the car.

Roxie doesn’t feel guilty about talking on the phone while Lisa is driving. Lisa’s phone is run through her car stereo and at most Lisa’s music is on hold. “Ms Truman didn’t have your phone number so she gave out mine instead. I’ve got about ten message here from people who probably want you to do the same thing you did for her. Can I just email the information to you?”

“I guess. What have you gotten me into, Roxie?”

“I have no idea. And I totally owe you for this. There will be babysitting involved. And, Lisa, be stern. Hold the line and don’t let them take advantage of your family time... and make them come to you not vis versa.”

“You’re a big help, Rox. Thanks.” Lisa clicks off.

“Somehow I don’t think she means that.” Roxie winces. “Call back the ones that didn’t mention Lisa and find out if they need to speak to me or her. If it’s Lisa, then email her house computer the names and phone numbers. She can call them back.”

* * *

By the time Lisa arrives back home, there is an email with ten names and phone numbers on it. With the experience of Ms Truman and how long that had taken Lisa tries to figure the best way to get this done and decides that it would all happen while the children are at school which is a half day Monday through Thursday. Maybe Monday and Wednesday for getting the information and Tuesday and Thursday for getting the doctors on board. Doctors are notorious for their half day Wednesday. “You two out of your school clothes and into your swimsuits. But no getting in the pool until I’m off the phone.” Lisa tells the kids who go racing to their rooms. As soon as they are out of the room Lisa tells House. “House, notify me if there any contact with the pool fence or gate.”

“Yes, Lisa.” 

With that Lisa starts making phone calls. She takes Roxie’s advice and is firm. The people would have to come to her house and it would be by appointment in the morning only while the children are in school. The people would have to bring every bottle of what they are on, not a list. Not after seeing that Mrs Truman had been taking expired medication. And it’s every bottle not just the prescribed meds. And figuring that they are all in the same age bracket as Mrs Truman, she wants to know who their primary doctors are up front. Maybe she’d get lucky and hit on Dr Sanchez again and not have to request more letters from Morgan. She’d gotten thru about the first three people when the kids came down wanting to go into the pool. The rest she made appointments with pool side while keeping an eye on the children.

* * *

Even if it wasn’t his practice anyway it certainly would be today. Morgan loosens his tie and rolls up his sleeves. The news has been coming back from Maracaibo. Luckily, Javier had been wrong and that port is open for business and everyone is getting paid. If it came down to it there are more than a few of his clients that would move to that port and take the hit in transportation cost for the trains and trucks to get the product to Caracas. There are more than a few that want Puerto Cabello. And there a couple who really don’t care if the dock workers are about to go on strike or why. There isn’t a labor shortage in Caracas. Even if with the reminder that people seldom work for free there had been shrugs.   
Maria had been working on this one since the problem had been brought to their attention pulling all the strings she knew after the years of working for Morgan and before at the big law firm that didn’t get let their attorneys get their hands dirty. Morgan nods at Maria and is connected with Estavio. He brings the union boss up to speed. That the problem is not at the federal level or at least not apparently and that it is specific to their port. Estavio needs to find out who could be diverting the funds. The dock workers salaries are paid from port duties as well as by the companies coming through but the money was going to one pot and people were paid from it. All the port workers including the inspectors. People not getting paid is bad news. People are going to make money whatever way they can especially if they have families to feed.

Giac Smit wonders into Morgan’s office; the coffee is always better on the lawyer’s side of the building. Today he can smell the adrenaline as soon as he crosses into Maria’s turf. The smell of adrenaline is as seductive to him as sugar to a diabetic. He’d spent years undercover-- always trying to remember his own name, always on the verge of being caught. Morgan’s assistant isn’t even giving him the ration she normally does when he does a coffee raid. Giac has worked for Roxie for about three years and had done his research before convincing the financial planner that he is a handy guy to have around. 

Morgan Benson had actually been a sore point. Morgan doesn’t know it but he is a connection to Giac’s previous life. On the surface, there weren’t any CSMC ties with Roxie. It was only once he’d already made his pitch that he’d found out of the ties and worse that Baby’s brother was right across the hall. Course he hadn’t gone up against Baby or her hacker directly... just kind of indirectly. That had been five years ago and he’d kept his word to not touch anything that had anything to do with Baby or Edward Quartermaine. Anyone who might have been thought of as me or mine by the girl who held his promise. He’d figured it would just be a couple of years and then the old man would die and free him from the promise. Hadn’t happened and he had to make other plans. Giac pours himself a cup of coffee and leans up against the wall that is closest to Maria’s desk. “What’s up?”

“You making another pot of coffee if you took the last.” Maria retorts. She keeps an ear on what Morgan is doing. This crisis is bringing out Morgan’s Spanish and she doesn’t know if he even realizes he is doing it. Morgan hadn’t been raised bilingual but it had definitely worked out that way after those summers in South America and going to college in Miami. Back at the firm, Morgan had made sure that all directions and comments were in English because the firm had been so paranoid. But working for a solid two days on the crisis almost exclusively in Spanish had Morgan thinking in Spanish automatically and it has become his work language. He calls out directions to Maria who starts making notes of what he is saying and nods muttering to herself in Spanish as well. Spanish was her first language but while her parents had been proud of their Cuban heritage had also feared that anyone that spoke spanish only would end up with a job that required the following phrase... Would you like fries with that? In Miami it’s a bonus to speak Spanish and actually opened doors but you needed to be fluent in English too.

Giac has heard the whole exchange and goes to the door to Morgan’s office where he can see both Morgan and Maria. He says simply in venezuelan accented Spanish. “I can help you with that.”

Morgan and Maria both stare at him frozen. They hadn’t known that Giac spoke spanish. He’d never let on and with the name they’d figured if he wasn’t english only then maybe Italian or Dutch or something. “Excuse me?”

“You need to find out who is diverting funds. I do computers. I can find out.”

“It is in Venezuela.”

Giac shrugs. “I could tell you that computers are computers and thieves are thieves the world over. Or I could tell you that I own property on Isla Margarita and have for the last twenty years. Got in cheap and figured it would be my retirement plan.”

“You came out of retirement to work for Roxie.” And Giac doesn’t look old enough to have owned property for twenty years anywhere. Course as a hacker he probably had all kinds of income that needed to be put somewhere.

“I don’t do boredom well. And Rox comes up with some fun puzzles on occasion... but right now you’ve got the big puzzle. When did this start?” Giac comes into Morgan’s office.

“Four months ago. We’ve got it narrowed down to the port itself.”

“So it’s actually simple embezzlement, but by someone who is being really bold and not worrying about getting caught. Probably already has a patsy in mind to cover. Ten percent of whatever I recover.” He shrugs. “My place on the island needs a new roof.” 

“Excuse me?” Morgan shakes his head. “I can’t offer that. This is money stolen from the Venezuelan government in addition to being the payroll for the port.”

Giac grins. “Can I borrow your phone?” One international call later and Giac has the okay to hack to his heart’s content to solve the problem. From the one side that Morgan can hear, evidently Giac’s hacking skills had bought him a free pass in Venezuela. Kinda like Aunt Georgie’s gave her a free pass with the FAA.

* * *

Four of the ten have Dr Sanchez. That’s a blessing but its probably going to annoy the heck out of the good doctor. Lisa sends and email to Jen to let her know the situation and when the patients are going to bring their medications in. Jen must have been online since she emails back with their office number and their fax number too. Also that she is notating the files with information about the appointment with Lisa to have an informal drug utilization review. They are closed on Wednesday but she’d be on the lookout for any emails or faxes from Lisa.

* * *

“You know, Ms Truman, that we could have done exactly what Lisa did for you.” Jen tells the older woman as she takes her blood pressure, temperature and weight and then notates the chart. The woman is in for the results of her lab work. After what had happened Dr Sanchez had put it on a rush.

“I know you would have, honey, but really I didn’t think of it. It was only because it was so expensive. And Roxie, from my church was doing a financial evaluation to see where I could save money and I swear I was going to have to pull her off the ceiling she was so stressed out. Truthfully in less than five minutes I was in the front seat of her car and she was telling me to buckle up and she was already on the phone to Lisa. And oh that was when it got interesting....” Ms Truman pauses while Jen is doing another poke and prod and then continues. “I have no idea who designed Lisa’s house but she’s got this really nice pool table in her family room and you know how they have that light over the table.”

“Un huh.” Jen agrees.

“Hers has a camera like at the those pool tournaments you see on tv and it’s hooked up to a computer. So she laid out all my meds and read them out to the computer and the computer sorted everything out for her building a spreadsheet. It was amazing.”

“I saw it.”

“I talked to some of my friends over at the Senior Center and they are going to call her. Already talked to a couple and she’s telling them to bring all their bottles to her so that her House, that’s what she calls her computer, can get a look at them too. And that House of hers? It’s an answering machine too. Roxie called when we were on the way over and the machine picked up but Roxie just bypassed it by talking straight to the computer. It was very science fiction.”

“We have the software too to check your meds, so does your pharmacy which is why they always ask if you are any other medications to see if there are any interactions.”

“Well yes, of course you do but I didn’t think anything of the tylenol or the St John’s Wort.”

Jen smiles helpfully but what is running through her head is a scream in frustration. How could they do their job when they didn’t have all the facts. Would she end up in a straight jacket if she started beating her head against the wall?

* * *

Roxie cut him a good deal on his LOOP condo. It’s a just a one bedroom but it’s basically all he needs and he can pack up and be gone in less than 15 minutes. Same couldn’t be said of his place down in Isla Margarita. He could work from the island too but working for Rox was putting his toe back in the water and trying to keep to his informal retirement agreement. He was already on board with Rox and complaining about staying in a rental when she’d hooked him up at the LOOP. When he saw the security in place he’d had more than a few questions. He recognized the handiwork. This was done by Georgie Jones up in Port Charles, New York. Another tie to his past life. He’d seen the foot prints of her partner Lucky Spencer tracking him the first couple of years after what had gone down up north. They still did on occasion. Kind of like a shark taking a nibble to see if something was there. They’d almost caught him a couple of different times. He’s gotten lucky getting tight with Steve Johnson, the basketball player; the guy liked to brag on his girlfriend and when she was coming to town. Gave him plenty of warning to make an out of town business or fishing trip. That had been true up until today when he’d made an impulsive offer that is really all about ego. It’s time to come clean and hopefully get Scorpio Investigations and CSMC off his ass. He dials a number from an internet generated number that is bounced off a dozen different points and still appeared to originate in Istanbul. “Hey Hillary, long time no talk.”

There is a long pause. And then the answering voice is definitely questioning... “Joe?” And then more confidently. “How did you get this number.”

“Hill, please.”

There is a sigh. “What do you want, Joe?”

“Now you know I’ve kept my word... last five years no messing with you or yours.”

“Yeah, and are you expecting an Atta Boy for doing what you should have been doing all along?” There is a hint of remembered anger and hurt in the retort.

“Nah, just giving you an update. I’m still retired... well semi-retired.” Giac says wryly. “And I just bumped into an issue that could be CSMC related and since you’re working for them now.... But since I’m coming down on the side of CSMC didn’t figure you’d have a problem with it. Just wanted to give you the heads up so you could head the dogs off.”

“You are doing hacking on a CSMC issue and on CSMC’s side. Um. No. Any hacking that needs doing Mouse will do and you know it. You step on his toes and he’ll cut off your foot.” Hill still believes she is speaking metaphorically.

Giac figures it’s more literally. “It’s a CSMC related issue. There are few degrees of separation there. Technically it has nothing to do with CSMC.”

“Are we playing Kevin Bacon with Me in the middle? How many degrees are we talking, Joe?”

“Well I’m calling you that makes it one.”

“And if you hadn’t called me?”

Giac winces but answers honestly. “Really three, technically two.”

“Joe!”

“I know sounds closer than it actually is more like four but technically two. It’s not ELQ it’s not your Grandpa Edward or Tracy. But since you moved to Philly you’ve been doing more CSMC anyway right? This isn’t really CSMC either.”

“I’ve been going to school! At Wharton! And designing hats!”

“And working daily at CSMC- philly.”

“You figure if you know where I am then you won’t be stepping on any toes or something?”

“Or something, like enjoying my retirement.”

“Two degrees from Baby isn’t enjoying your retirement, Joe.”

“More like four really.”

“You call me before you run into any problems... you hear me?”

“Yeah, No problem, Hill. How long is that grandfather of yours going to live?”

“If it keeps you from worrying him and Aunt Tracy... I’ll have him cloned. Live in fear, Joe. You think one Grandpa Edward is bad imagine two or three all gunning for you.”

Giac laughs. “That’s illegal, Bug.”

“Oh pot and kettle, Joe.”

* * *

The very next call is to the CSMC hotline. This is one that is not for Mona but for Mouse. “Hey Bug, what’s up?”

“I just received a phone call from Joe Smith. He know I’m working for CSMC- Philly.”

“Come in on your home line or cell?”

“Cell.”

“Did you tape it?” Mouse is already accessing Hill’s cell phone records.

“As soon as I realized it was Joe.” 

“Did he know?”

“Would you?”

Mouse grunts. “Did it sound like a dare?”

“More like a heads up. He’s working something that could technically brush CSMC. I told him no way you’d go for that.”

“It was a long conversation.” Mouse mutters. “He knows I’m going to trace it.... to Istanbul. Yeah, right.” Mouse snorts. “Hook up your cell to your netbook and play it for me.”

“Kay, give me a sec.” Hill opens up a conference and plugs her cell in so that the recorded call is played. She can see Mouse on the screen and the way his eyes narrow behind the amber tinted lens. He start typing words into the window that he takes as clues from the conversation. Hill does the same.

“The phone line was crap but what do you expect when it’s bounced off 12 different locations. It isn’t about ELQ, this time it is about CSMC.”

“That’s what I think too. Something connected but not directly.” Hill nods.

“Mona could be considered not connected directly. I don’t want to think about how many people could be considered connected but not directly.” Mouse says wryly. “I’m going to need to chew on this one for a bit. Oh and Bug?”

“Yeah, Mouse.”

“No matter what mad scientist or Cassadine relative comes to you with the brilliant idea... Do Not Clone Edward Quartermaine. The copy is never as sharp as the original.”

“I don’t know why you and Joe would think I would. I’m taking business classes at Wharton not mad scientist.”

“Night, Bug.”

“Night Mouse.”

* * *

* * *

NOTES:  
Barry University Masters in Social Work... two year private program with accelerated program for people with ba in social work.  
http://www.barry.edu/msw/about/curriculum advanced parttime fall.htm

Giac’s house on Isla Margarita

http://www.islamargarita.no/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=0

 

http://www.islamargarita.no/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=0

 

Oh really like this one... http://www.islamargarita.no/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=198&Itemid=0

but this probably the winner....  
http://www.margarita real estate.com/Playa_El_Agua_Area/Nueva_Esparta/Multifamily_Dwellings/La_Mira/Agent/Listing_5577243.html


	9. Chapter 9

Wednesday lunch is spent with his best girl. He’d followed her rules and kept his distance but they are family and a brother could expect lunch once a week just to keep up, right? Javier gets to his feet as Kiki arrives. He gives her a kiss on the cheek and a one armed hug before grabbing her chair for her and settling her at the table. Like Joanie Ingram up in Philadelphia, Javier had the practice of going to different restaurants every time and reporting his results back via his web page to Mona at One Phone Call. “You look beautiful.”

“You know I’d believe you more if you told me I looked like crap once in awhile.”

“Well I may not say that you looked like bad but I didn’t say you looked beautiful the week of April 15.” 

Kiki laughs at that. “True. Oh true. By the time the season was over I was ready to sleep for a week. I don’t know how the firms that are just tax prep do it. At least with Rox taxes are year round and the push isn’t as hard because everything we do has the tax consequences considered. But she always seems to pick up clients right around April 1 that aren’t foolin’ about how screwed they are.”

“So fill me in on your life, how are you doing?”

“Busy. But good busy.” Kiki looks over the menu and decides on what she is going to have. She clues Javier in on it. And isn’t surprised when the waiter arrives that Javier orders for her. She takes care of the details of salad dressing and what she is having to drink but she’s got used to big brother starting her order for her. Javier does it for Baby when she is town too. Javier always preferred for the women in his life to be underestimated. She’d told Lisa and Roxie about what Javier did. They’d shrugged and said to not make a big deal of it unless he started repeated the salad dressing to the waiter like she wasn’t even at the table. Up until that point it’s like holding the door for her-- something to say thanks for and keep moving. Like these Wednesday Lunches... give in on the little things and stop the care from being pervasive. “Junior is going to keep me hopping. And I have a training I’m going to up in Philly next week.”

Javier nods. As soon as she said Philly he’d relaxed. At least it is a CSMC town. Kiki and Roxie went to a lot of trainings to keep current on everything that might impact their clients. “Anyone else from the office going?” 

“One of the gals from the mailroom. She’s just about done with her requirements to be get her CPA.”

“You’re going to have to get an attorney in that office once of these days. You’re not just doing accounting or asset management anymore.” Javier advises.

“I know. But don’t tell Rox that or she’ll think that CSMC is butting in.”

“Butting in would be providing her with a list not a suggestion.”

“Butting in is in the eyes of the receiver not the deliverer.” Kiki retorts.

“True enough.” Javier nods. But he can’t resist. “Maybe that boyfriend of yours should be going back to law school. How much longer you think he is going to be able to put up with those punks?”

“Pete?” Kiki frowns as she considers her brother’s suggestion. Javier is always butting in but he is also pretty observant. She chews the inside of her lip as she considers the last conversation they’d had over at LeVantage while she’d been on her break. “I don’t know, Javier. I think that the bonus babies do drive him nuts when he gets roped into babysitting them. SJ still has his moments but sometimes I think he puts them on so that Pete will call Georgie Jones and suggest she come down. As a neighbor he’s the sanest guy in the building. SJ I mean. But his, Pete’s, biggest frustration is dealing with the owners... you know the guys saying they want some hotshot rather than going with Pete’s recommendation. And the owners know money they don’t really know basketball schemes. And he’s showed absolutely zero interest in going back to school. Even if Morgan is one of his best friends.”

“But is it such a leap from scouting to agent? And isn’t the money better as an agent. Kind of like those congressmen and staffers becoming lobbyists.”

“You know if the clients were all like SJ or Junior it would be a good gig. But I live in fear of the day when one of those stereotypical jocks comes in and believes their own press.”

“SJ was like that before he started dating Georgie Jones, every man needs a good woman, mi hermana hermosa.”

Kiki knows Javier believes it down to his shoe soles. All the guys that worked for CSMC believed it. It’s why any of them would kill for Baby’s favor. It’s something Kiki and Lisa had discussed at length over Margaritas on more than one occasion. Lisa still lived in fear that one day Morgan would drink the koolaid but it had been a few years now and there is still a healthy distance. Lisa says Morgan’s older brother Michael is actually more of a fan of Baby than Morgan. He is one of the rare guys who didn’t have any rose tinted glasses over what the woman is capable of. Unlike Anders, Lisa’s brother and head of CSMC Boston who would do just about anything for Baby. And what he wouldn’t do for Baby he would do for Chandy, his girlfriend and Baby’s cousin. “You know you keep saying that but I still don’t have a sister-in-law, or any nieces or nephews... that I know of.” She gives him a significant look.

“There are many beautiful women but few good ones.” Javier counters with a grin. He leans back to allow the salads to be delivered.

“And you’re having too much fun.” Kiki rolls her eyes.

* * *

Lisa waits in the queue outside the Church of the Little Flower on the school side. Both George and Leigh go to pre-school here half day Monday thru Thursday. It would have been handier to have the children in the same preschool as Cy and Ali, Roxie and Cassius’ children but Father Frank had gotten to Morgan in a weak moment. She doesn’t have a problem with the children being raised Catholic. Morgan is. Kiki and Javier are. Her mother would attend Catholic services if there wasn’t a Greek Orthodox around. She’s one that would just as soon show up on Christmas and Easter. 

The scandals coming out of the Catholic Church are persistent. As often as they try to cover them up the more than blow up harder. If they would just say that the perps were bad apples and throw them out that would be one thing but they seemed to cling to the bad apples and it ended up tainting whole parishes and worse move them around to spread the taint. So she’d gone along with the kids being involved with the Church of the Little Flower but she had flat out told Morgan that the children would never be solo unsupervised with anyone other than them. Hell she hadn’t minded House helping her bug their backpacks and their favorite pairs of shoes. And the children are too young for sleep overs at anyone but Roxie’s house but if they were ever on a church activity that involved sleep overs then someone would be with them. She would make an exception to her no CSMC rule and have Javier send one of the guys to help.

Father Galen is directing traffic as parents line up to pick up their children and drop off those going to afternoon kindergarten. He’s enough for her to drop her guard... mostly. Morgan had done his research. Galen had been married for like thirty years and raised his kids. He hadn’t joined the priesthood until after his wife died. This was his idea of a second career. When Galen walks along the queue on the driver’s side he stops to say a few words to the people, mostly moms, picking up. Lisa knows her turn is coming.

“Didn’t see you at Mass Sunday, Lisa.” Father Galen starts. “You okay?”

“Working.” Lisa replies. “That’s why Mom was here with Morgan and the kids.”

“That’s what I thought.” Galen nods. “I hope it wasn’t a busy night.”

Lisa snorts at that. “Saturday night in Miami? Yeah, right. Stupid was in full force. How were the kids today?” 

“George is very social, a bit of a pleaser.” Father Galen tells Lisa. He knows all the children who go to the school. And even if he doesn’t note something for the parents he knows the child character and can speak to it.

Lisa nods not surprised by that with a sister like Leigh, George had already started being a pleaser in order to not tick off his big sister. “Huh. And let me guess if see if I can find the correct way to describe Leigh... hmm... It’s a challenge to keep her exceptional leadership qualities focused and in check?”

Galen laughs. “She’s a handful. And I’m glad she’s on our side. Both of them are already reading to the other children. I’d say first grade level at least for both. You’re keeping them engaged. And here they come.” Galen looks over the top of the car to where the doors have burst open. The children were supposed to be released by class so that the bigger kids didn’t run over the smaller but that didn’t work for Leigh who always went to George’s class and got her brother herself. The teachers had fought it for the first couple of weeks that George had been attending but then given in. They weren’t going to win. And that had been a tough lesson to be taught by a 4 year old. The battle they’d won was having George in a separate class from his sister. They’d lost the battle on her walking him to class and out to the car. “See you this Sunday, Lisa.” Father Galen says confidently as he moves away from the driver’s side. 

Lisa nods and gets out of the car flipping her seat forward. With the skill of long practice the children are secured in the back seat with their book bags in the foot well acting as props for their feet and they are on their way with Lisa keeping the speed to a minimum until they are clear of the school and students.

* * *

For a sports fan this is the perfect time of year. The basketball season is going into the playoffs the baseball season is going and this year because of the trade to get the number one pick with Junior, interest in football rookie camp and mini camp is at an all time high as well. Pat, the PR person for the Dolphins wanted to make sure that Junior was getting to all the games and rooting for the Miami teams. If it distracted a little bit from what was going on the court or out in the field well... baseball could be as boring as hell if there was a pitching battle going on... and there is always half time at the basketball games.  
He’d rather be at a baseball game over at the Sun Life Stadium but the Marlins had built their own park years ago after sharing with the Dolphins for a twenty years. It made sense a baseball field isn’t shaped like a football field and making a fan friendly stadium that accommodated both? Pretty impossible. So here he is on the third base line in a box that is a ways off the field. Because of his size it is just cruel to the people behind him if he sat down closer to the field. But it is a gorgeous day for a business man game... one of the 2pm matinee games that allowed everyone to be out and enjoying the Miami sunshine. 

“Baseball was never my game.” Junior says to one of the Marlin brass who is watching the game in the same box. “Basketball either. They didn’t mind me playing basketball because I would take up the whole three second area. Course the problem was I took up the whole three second area. Baseball I did okay hitting when I actually hit the ball but I’d pretty much have to hit it cause that whole running the base thing or steal bases... Not so good.”

The brass nods. He could see the point there. “I did watch you on the combine. My TV kind of defaults to ESPN. You are fast.”

“Yeah, but with that qualifier... fast for a guy my size. There aren’t many guys my size.” Junior leans forward to see the action he has the feeling that something is about to break. The guy on first base is stretching out his lead past the point of no return. “Yeah, there he goes.” Junior gets to his feet watching the pitcher who quickly turns around and flips the ball to the second baseman who catches the ball on the fly and is already swinging it toward the approaching runner.

“We should have had you thrown out the first pitch.” The brass laments. He feels like he is falling down on the job having the biggest sports story sitting next to him and not taking advantage of it for the Marlins.

“You’ve never seen me throw.” Junior laughs as he takes his seat again. “I’ve only got this week to get settled in before the work starts with rookie mini camp. Got to enjoy the sunshine while I can. As soon as we start the two a days I’ll be cursing it.”


End file.
